PELHAM – A year-long investigation into illegal drugs making their way into town, mainly from both suspected and convicted traffickers from Massachusetts, has prompted detectives with the police department’s criminal bureau to warn residents of just how dangerous, and potentially deadly, the drugs are.

Capt. Anne Perriello said that as part of the investigation, detectives were able to seize “a large amount of what was believed to be the deadly drug fentanyl,” which police sent to the state police forensic lab in Concord for analysis.

The contents of the lab’s report included some fairly alarming results: The fentanyl tested had been “cut,” or mixed with, a “dangerous mixture” of fentanyl, tramadol, heroin and xylazine, Perriello said.

Tramadol is a narcotic drug used to relieve moderate to severe pain, while xylazine is used by veterinarians as a sedative, muscle relaxant and analgesic for large animals like horses and cattle.

While Pelham’s first responders haven’t had a fatal overdose case “directly related to this mixture,” Perriello said they ‘want the public to be aware that this deadly mixture is circulating.”

Pelham police, often in conjunction with representatives of other law enforcement agencies, have made several arrests in recent years involving the possession and sale of significant amounts of fentanyl, heroin and similar drugs.

Their recent investigation involved in large part a suspect – whom Perriello didn’t identify, other than to say he was from Lawrence, Massachusetts – whose case was handed up to federal authorities.

According to archived news stories, Pelham police in October 2020 arrested Jose Rodriguez, 24, of Lawrence, on drug charges, and seized roughly 65 grams of fentanyl.

In late 2019, Lawrence police arrested Jonathan Betancourt, then 29, whose alleged drug activity included the sale of a total of about 135 grams of what they suspected was fentanyl.

Betancourt allegedly sold the drug in Pelham on four separate occasions, and police reported at the time that they began investigating him after learning he was allegedly looking to expand his sales territory into southern New Hampshire.

Perriello noted that Pelham is “one of the few New Hampshire police departments” that has a designated drug treatment and prevention officer in its employ.

He is Drug Treatment and Prevention Officer (DTPO) Bruce Vieira, a longtime detective with the department. Perriello urged “anyone residing in Pelham who is struggling with alcohol or drug addiction” to reach out to Vieira at 635-2411 or bvieira@pelhampolice.com.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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