What Were FBI Agents Doing In Augusta, Maine On Friday?

While most people would agree that Maine is a fairly safe place to live, we still deal with our fair share of crime.  Recently, drugs have become a serious issue within the state.  In particular, we are seeing more cases of law enforcement making arrests in connection with the possesion of trafficking of hard drugs.  Fentanyl, for example.

Federal agents recently made a drug arrest here in Augusta.

If you happened to be driving through the intersection of Riverside Drive and Route 3 on Friday afternoon, you may have noticed some commotion at one of the nearby gas stations.  The parking lot was filled with law enforcement vehicles and what were, clearly, unmarked law enforcement vehicles.  What was going on?

According to the KJ, agents from the FBI arrested Alvaro “Santos” Annover Motera Arias for allegedly knowingly and intentionally distributing and possessing, with the intent to distribute, controlled substances.

The article, which is based on an affidavit filed in US District Court in Bangor, explains that the FBI had been tracking Arias' phone.  On Friday, they reportedly noticed that his phone was on the move from Canton, Mass to Augusta.  Working with local law enforcement, they stopped his vehicle in the parking lot of the gas station.

A K-9 search found the presence of drugs in the vehicle.  Agents reportedly found 92 grams of powder cocaine, 474 grams of fentanyl and 452 grams of methamphetamine within the vehicle.

Apparently, this is not the first time Arias has made drug exchanges in Augusta.  The affidavit alleges that he had previously made drug exchanges at least twice before in the bathroom of an Augusta gas station.

*All suspects are considered innocent until found guilty in a court of law*