A federal grand jury in Boston has indicted three Massachusetts men from Revere, Mass., Colton, N.Y., and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
According to a press release from the Massachusetts Department of Justice, Joel Betances, 43, of Revere; Noel Betances, 42, of Chelsea; and Reylin Segura, 31, of Boston, were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled narcotics. Joel and Noel Betances were also charged with possessing and intending to distribute 5 kilos or more of cocaine. Noel Betances was charged with distributing 500 grams or more of cocaine. Segura was also charged with possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. The defendants will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
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Noel Betances and Segura were previously detained and charged under a complaint in August 2025. Joel Betances was arrested in the Dominican Republic on November 19, 2025.
According to court records, an inquiry into parcels suspected of containing narcotics delivered from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts began in 2023. One such box, intercepted in Puerto Rico in June 2023, was believed to contain five kilograms of cocaine. Between June 2023 and September 2023, Noel Betances and Joel Betances were allegedly seen picking up further suspected cocaine shipments in Chelsea, Revere, and Boston and delivering them to various locations, including a Revere residence.
It is further claimed that about two years later, on July 26, 2025, Joel Betances provided an individual with 25 kilograms of cocaine to be delivered to New York. The cocaine was eventually found in a vehicle near Colton, New York.
Furthermore, it is claimed that on August 12, 2025, Betances was seen leaving a Revere home with a box, which he gave to Segura in exchange for a plastic bag. The package was later discovered to contain four kilograms of cocaine, while the bag purportedly contained around $58,000 in wrapped cash. A later search of the Revere property yielded an additional 65 kilograms of cocaine and $341,780 in cash.
The cocaine confiscated in this instance is estimated to be worth at least $1.4 million.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (involving five kilograms or more of cocaine) and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine carry sentences of at least ten years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and up to life, and a $10 million fine. The charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (involving 500 grams or more of cocaine), distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine each carry a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and up to life, and a $5 million fine. A federal district court judge imposes sentences based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the legislation that governs sentence determination in criminal cases.
The announcement was made today by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division. The Revere, Boston, and Worcester police departments provided invaluable assistance. Samuel R. Feldman, an Assistant United States Attorney in the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit, is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that mobilizes the Department of Justice’s full resources to combat the invasion of illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from violent criminals. Operation Take Back America combines actions and resources from the department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
The details in the charge document are allegations. The defendants are deemed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
