By Jill Harmacinski
jharmacinski@eagletribune.com
December 23, 2008 12:22 am LAWRENCE — Police yesterday raided a fortified apartment on Crescent Street and confiscated heroin and cocaine they said was most likely smuggled into the country by drug mules. The drugs were wrapped tightly in finger-sized packages, which police said are of the type swallowed by mules to avoid detection while flying into the country. Edgardo Escobar Rivera Jr., 49, was arrested in the early morning raid and charged with trafficking cocaine and heroin and providing a false name to police. He was held on $500,000 cash bail after his arraignment in Lawrence District Court later yesterday. The distinctive packaging of the drugs was a big tip-off to detectives and more evidence that the use of drug mules in this area is apparently thriving. "They knew right off the bat this stuff came in with mules," said police Chief John Romero. Police obtained a search warrant for Rivera's 54 Crescent St. apartment after a monthlong investigation. Lawrence police SWAT team members rammed open the front door of the second-floor apartment at 6:30 a.m. The door was "fortified" with a series of beams and rods, police said. Inside, detectives found 16 bags of heroin and cocaine, which together, if sold on the street illegally, would yield approximately $50,000 cash, according to detectives. Police said Rivera, who uses a variety of aliases and was deported in 1992 for felony drug convictions, had resumed residency here again. Detectives also found a Massachusetts driver's license, Social Security card, rent receipt and insurance and other financial paperwork from Lawrence General Hospital in Rivera's name. A scale and sandwich bags police said they believe he used to illegally package drugs also were recovered, according to a report written by Detective Angel Mejia. A fingerprint analysis also revealed Rivera uses the aliases of Emilio Ricardo and Emilio Richard Perez. He was deported to the Dominican Republic under the name of Emilio Ricardo Perez Richardson, police said. Several cases involving suspected drug mules have cropped up recently in the region, among them a case involving a drug mule reported missing by his family living in Lawrence. Miguel Tavera, 27, of Lawrence has been missing since last month after he told members of his family he was flying back to Boston from the Dominican Republic. Angel Baez-Gil, 48, of Lawrence, also faced criminal charges earlier this month after one of two sisters, Mally Cruz Rodriguez, 25, who he was allegedly using as drug mules, died. Her body was found in a Salem, N.H., motel. Baez-Gil, who also uses the aliases of Dennis Rivera and Manuel Perez, was arraigned on cocaine trafficking charges in Salem, N.H., District Court. Drug mules have been working for decades, using their bodies to transport drugs without detection across international boundaries. Mules are generally paid a small percentage of what their cargo will yield in illegal drug sales once they cross the border. Detectives in Lawrence said they believe mules are regularly leaving and returning to the city. However, they generally only come in contact with the mules if they become sick or die. ÔÇæÔÇæÔÇæ Join the discussion. To comment on stories and see what others are saying, log on to eagletribune.com.
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