BOSTON — A Lowell home played a central role in an investigation that resulted in the arrest of two men accused of producing methamphetamine-laced counterfeit Adderall, as federal agents seized tens of thousands of pills, 30 pounds of crystal meth and three firearms.

Franklin Argueta, 29, also known as “Frizz,” of Lowell, and Luis Arias, also known as “Nacho,” of Somerville, were taken into custody after authorities executed search warrants at their homes on Tuesday, including Argueta’s residence at 86 Butterfield St., according to court documents.

An affidavit filed by a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration said the investigation began in August when a cooperating source — cooperating in “the hope of receiving consideration/leniency with respect to potential federal drug charges” — reported that two men were using pill-press machines to make counterfeit Adderall and oxycodone pills for distribution in the Boston area.

The affidavit states that counterfeit pills pressed to resemble the prescription drug Adderall often contain methamphetamine, while those made to look like oxycodone typically contain the potent opioid fentanyl.

Between August and October, investigators directed the cooperating source to conduct three controlled purchases of counterfeit Adderall from the two men in Middlesex and Suffolk counties.

The alleged buys resulted in nearly 5,000 pills, weighing about 3 pounds, being seized.

The first two purchases were carried out while the cooperating source wore a covert recording device and used “official government money” supplied by investigators. The affidavit states the third controlled buy “occurred sooner than expected” so “investigators were unable to observe the same protocols.”

The pills were later tested at a DEA laboratory and found to contain methamphetamine, but at a low purity, with only 4.6% to 4.9% of the extracted substance actually containing the drug.

In October, investigators had the cooperating source introduce an undercover officer posing as a drug trafficker to Argueta. During that meeting, Argueta allegedly accepted $1,500 in official funds as payment for pills previously sold to the source and introduced himself as “Frizz.”

The case intensified in January, when the affidavit states Argueta agreed on the encrypted messaging application Signal to sell the undercover officer about 10,000 additional counterfeit pills.

Investigators watched Argueta leave his Butterfield Street home on Jan. 14 carrying a backpack and a black plastic bag, place them in his car, and drive directly to the meeting location.

The bag he handed over allegedly contained two bags of counterfeit Adderall pills — about 10,000 in total — orange and stamped with “AD/30,” consistent with those previously purchased during the investigation.

On Tuesday morning, federal agents executed search warrants at both men’s homes.

At Argueta’s Lowell home, they discovered buckets containing “approximately thirty pounds of a crystalline substance” that field-tested positive for methamphetamine, along with tens of thousands of what appeared to be counterfeit Adderall pills and two firearms.

At Arias’ apartment, located at The Guild Somerville, investigators uncovered tens of thousands counterfeit pills and a firearm.

The pills seized from both locations matched the size, color and markings of the meth-based counterfeit Adderall pills sold earlier in the investigation.

U.S. Attorney Leah Foley’s office said in a press release announcing the arrests that authorities also recovered two pill-press machines and “dozens of bags of filler material used in the manufacturing process,” though those details did not appear in the affidavit.

The affidavit states that the cooperating source involved in the case has a criminal history that includes state convictions for controlled‑substance offenses and for possession of a firearm and ammunition without a firearm identification card.

The source also has prior charges that were later dismissed, including receiving stolen property, assault and battery, resisting arrest and controlled‑substance offenses.

According to the affidavit, information the source provided in a separate investigation led to the seizure of narcotics and bulk U.S. currency and to arrests on state drug charges.

“Investigators have repeatedly corroborated information provided by the (cooperating source),” the agent stated in the affidavit. “I believe that information provided by the CS is reliable.”

Certain details about the controlled purchases described in the affidavit were withheld to protect the cooperating source’s identity and “physical safety.”

Argueta and Arias are both charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, a charge that carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million.

Authorities said they were detained following initial appearances in federal court on Thursday.

Argueta’s attorney, Cara McNamara, and Arias’ attorney, Thomas Kerner, were not immediately available for comment.

Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.