WESTBROOK, Maine — Two drug busts. Two hotels. One day. And enough fentanyl to kill 91,000 people.
Maine Drug Enforcement Agents carried out back-to-back hotel operations on Thursday, resulting in three arrests and the seizure of large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl across two separate locations.
The scale of what was found — especially in Winthrop — is drawing serious attention from law enforcement.
What Happened in Westbrook
Drug agents were already watching a hotel on the Portland-Westbrook line when they made their move Thursday morning.
Working alongside Westbrook and Portland Police Departments, MDEA agents conducted a traffic stop on Larrabee Road.
Inside the vehicle, they found:
- 363 grams of suspected cocaine base (crack cocaine)
- Approximately $20,000 in suspected drug proceeds
- Other items consistent with drug trafficking
At current street prices of $80 to $120 per gram, the cocaine base alone carries an estimated street value of between $29,040 and $43,560.
Two people were arrested at the scene.
Amanuel A. Sentayehu, 29, of Westbrook, was charged with aggravated trafficking in cocaine base. His bail was set at $15,000 cash.
Aria A. Pomerleau, 30, of Bridgton, faces the same trafficking charge — plus an additional count of falsifying physical evidence and two outstanding warrants for failure to appear. Her bail was set at $32,500 cash.
Both were transported to Cumberland County Jail.
What Happened in Winthrop
Just hours later, agents shifted focus to a motel in Winthrop, where they had been investigating suspected drug trafficking activity.
There, they arrested Jorge Luis Franco Mejia, 31, a resident of the Dominican Republic. He was charged with aggravated trafficking in both cocaine and fentanyl.
His bail was set at $100,000.
When agents executed a search warrant on Mejia’s motel room, here is what they found:
- 180 gross grams of cocaine
- 20 gross grams of fentanyl
- $1,660 in suspected drug proceeds
The fentanyl alone — just 20 grams — is enough for an estimated 91,000 lethal doses of the drug.
MDEA officials put the combined estimated street value of the Winthrop seizure at $20,000.
More Arrests Expected
Investigators have not closed the book on either case.
Officials confirmed that more arrests are expected as both investigations move forward. It is unclear at this time how far the trafficking network extends or whether additional locations are being watched.
Fentanyl remains one of the deadliest substances driving overdose deaths across Maine and the country. Even a small amount — just two milligrams — can be fatal, which is what makes Thursday’s seizure so significant in scale.
Law enforcement has not yet released additional details on how either investigation began or how long agents had been watching the suspects.
Do you think local hotels are doing enough to prevent drug activity in their rooms? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
