Niulmi Baez, a 26-year-old Dominican national and former Boston resident, pleaded guilty in federal court in New Hampshire to distributing large amounts of fentanyl. Prosecutors said the case involved nearly 700 grams, placing it well within serious federal territory.
What makes this case stand out is how it was built. Over several months, an undercover officer carried out controlled purchases, documenting repeated transactions that showed a structured operation, not isolated deals, and eventually tied Baez directly to distribution activity across multiple encounters.
How the Undercover Investigation Took Shape
The investigation began quietly in late 2021, when law enforcement learned Baez was selling drugs. Instead of moving in immediately, officers built the case step by step, choosing to watch, document, and understand how the operation actually worked over time.
Between November 2021 and June 2022, an undercover officer carried out a series of controlled purchases directly linked to Baez. Each transaction added detail, showing patterns in communication, delivery, and quantity that made the case stronger with every recorded interaction.
Those controlled buys were not random. They were designed to prove consistency and intent, which matters in federal court. By the time investigators reached mid-2022, they had enough evidence tied to specific deals to support charges involving at least 400 grams of fentanyl.
How the Distribution Operation Worked
Baez did not depend on just one method to move drugs around. Court documents explain that he sometimes made deliveries himself, but also relied on a runner, his co-defendant Hamet Badia, to handle transactions when needed, giving the operation more flexibility.
A moment in June 2022 shows how that setup actually played out. An undercover officer arranged to purchase 400 grams of fentanyl and 200 oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, a volume that clearly signals distribution rather than personal use or smaller deals.
Baez told the officer his “brother” would show up first in an Uber. Badia arrived carrying a green shoe box with the drugs, handed them over to Baez, and the exchange continued, showing clear coordination, timing, and defined roles within the operation.
Arrest, Charges and What Comes Next
After the drug activity was uncovered in 2021 and 2022, Baez left the United States and returned to the Dominican Republic. That move delayed the case, but investigators kept tracking him and waited for the right moment to bring him back into custody.
That moment came on October 2, 2025, when Baez arrived at Logan Airport in Boston. Law enforcement arrested him as soon as he landed, and he has remained detained since, a sign of how seriously federal authorities treated the charges.
The legal exposure is significant. Federal law sets a minimum sentence of 10 years and allows for life in prison, along with at least 5 years of supervised release and fines up to $10 million. Sentencing is scheduled for August 3, 2026, in New Hampshire.
Endnote
Cases like this often push a larger debate about how fentanyl moves through communities and how enforcement should respond. Federal prosecutors are increasingly focusing on structured networks, especially those tied to cross-border movement, where supply chains are harder to track and disrupt.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a broader effort to target organized drug activity and transnational groups. With sentencing set for August 3, 2026, the outcome will reflect how seriously courts continue to treat high volume fentanyl distribution.