BOSTON (WBSM) — A New Bedford man has pleaded guilty in Boston federal court for his role in a drug trafficking operation in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Jose Santiago, 46, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Between April 2022 and June 2022, Santiago purchased fentanyl that he then redistributed to others.

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Intercepted calls caught Santiago discussing purchasing fentanyl, according to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 7, 2024. A federal grand jury indicted Santiago in August 2022. The charges call for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million.

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