A previously deported migrant living in the Bay State has been arrested for allegedly conspiring to distribute tens of thousands of fentanyl pills and illegally reentering the U.S., according to the feds.

Dominican national Juan Alexis Rodriguez Garcia, 35, has been unlawfully residing in Lawrence, the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office says.

Garcia — who was deported years ago following a fentanyl distribution conviction — was recently busted with nearly 65,000 fentanyl pills, according to the feds.

Garcia was initially admitted into the U.S. in 2009 as a lawful permanent resident in Puerto Rico. Then in 2016, he was arrested in North Andover for fentanyl distribution, and he was later convicted in 2018.

He was deported that year. Then sometime after his removal, Garcia allegedly unlawfully reentered the country.

According to the federal charging documents, law enforcement officers on March 30 tried to conduct a controlled purchase of 65,000 fentanyl pills from Garcia, who allegedly arrived at the agreed upon location for the drug deal in Lawrence. Garcia was arrested on site for immigration violations.

During a search of the residence that Garcia allegedly visited right before the planned drug deal, officers found about 64,390 fentanyl pills that were made to look like pharmaceutical pills.

The pills were packaged into three separate vacuum sealed plastic bags, and found inside a large black duffel bag inside of the front closet on the first floor.

Garcia’s fingerprints allegedly matched two latent prints developed from the plastic bags containing the pills. The fentanyl pills had a net weight of more than 7.2 kilograms.

Related Articles

Editorial: We want Tom Homan to fixate on crime in Massachusetts

Massachusetts police make big fentanyl bust, arrest convicted drug dealer

Murphy: Rivals need to push Wu on drug policy

Dominican man living in Massachusetts busted for allegedly dealing fentanyl from Sinaloa Cartel

Illegal immigrant pleads guilty to being Boston fentanyl bagman

Garcia was charged with conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl and unlawful reentry of a deported alien.

He was arrested Tuesday morning and following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, he was ordered detained.