Salvadoran National Sentenced for Dealing Fentanyl

BOSTON - A Salvadoran national unlawfully residing in East Boston was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on drug distribution charges.

Tony Cartagena-Chacon, 47, was sentenced by United States District Judge Angel Kelley to 18 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of the imposed sentence. In October 2025, Cartagena-Chacon pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.

During an investigation of the transnational criminal organization 18th Street Gang, Cartagena-Chacon met with a cooperating witness on Feb. 15, 2024 to sell approximately 50 grams of fentanyl powder. During the deal, Cartagena-Chacon emphasized how "pure" his product was, suggesting that the cooperating witness could re-sell the substance for significant profit.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; Suffolk County and Middlesex County District Attorney's Offices; and the Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Falmouth, Lynn, Medford, Nantucket and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts.