A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into a large-scale drug trafficking operation. Jonathan Melendez Decatro, also known as “Jacha,” was sentenced on June 2 in federal court in Boston. In addition to his prison term, he will serve five years of supervised release.
Melendez Decatro, aged 32 and from Braintree, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was initially indicted in June 2023.
Authorities identified Melendez Decatro as the leader of a drug trafficking organization operating in the Brockton area since 2019. The organization sourced narcotics directly from countries including Colombia, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. Law enforcement intercepted packages intended for him on two occasions in 2021; each package contained a kilogram of cocaine.
Further investigations revealed that Melendez Decatro conspired with an individual based in the Dominican Republic during the spring of 2023 to distribute 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl within Braintree. Tests showed that the fentanyl had purity levels ranging from 54% to 79% and included xylazine as an additive. A search of his residence uncovered over $11,000 believed to be drug proceeds and clothing linked to fentanyl transactions.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations New England Strike Force, Massachusetts State Police, FBI Boston Division, DEA New England Field Division, DEA Bogota, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Brockton Police.
