N.H. police arrest Lawrence man on cocaine trafficking charges

By Pat Grossmith / The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester | Friday, August 5, 2011

NASHUA -- A Massachusetts man faces drug trafficking charges after authorities allegedly found more than $150,000 worth of cocaine hidden inside of his vehicle.

Mynor Garcia-Alfaro, 27, of Lawrence, Mass., was arrested when police located 4 1/2 kilos of cocaine hidden within a compartment of his vehicle parked at Railroad Square.

Upon further investigation, authorities executed a search warrant at his residence and recovered $8,000 in cash and illegal firearms, according to Lt. Michael Carignan of the Nashua Police Department’s Narcotics Intelligence Division.

Garcia-Alfaro was being held at the Hillsborough County Jail in Manchester on drug trafficking charges as well as an immigration detainer placed on him by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.

"The investigation is still ongoing," said Carignan, noting additional arrests are possible.

According to court documents filed at Nashua District Court, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation has conducted several controlled purchases of crack cocaine and an illegal firearm from Garcia-Alfaro.

Federal authorities, who confirmed Garcia-Alfaro is an illegal immigrant from Guatemala residing in Massachusetts, were tipped off that he might be preparing to leave the country, prompting officials to close in on their investigation, says court records.

On July 28, the agent received information that Garcia-Alfaro was allegedly transporting several kilos of cocaine from Lawrence to Nashua in a 2003 Honda Accord that was later located by city police at Railroad Square.

Garcia-Alfaro and another unidentified male had briefly exited the vehicle when city police placed Garcia-Alfaro into custody, says a police affidavit. A search warrant was issued and authorities located five large packages of cocaine, according to court documents.

The drugs, which were hidden in a hydraulic compartment between the two front seats of his vehicle, were seized, along with thousands of dollars in cash and illegal firearms located at his residence in Massachusetts.

He is being held on $150,000 cash bail charged with a felony count of possession of a narcotic drug with intent to distribute, and will be in court on Aug. 10 for a probable cause hearing.

City police are being assisted by the FBI’s North Shore Gang Task Force and the New Hampshire Safe Streets Gang Task Force in the investigation.

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