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Editorial: Elizabeth Warren has right idea – go after fentanyl’s crypto ties

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Editorial: Elizabeth Warren has right idea – go after fentanyl’s crypto ties


It was no coincidence that an alleged meth and fentanyl kingpin was arrested and charged Wednesday, the day after Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn called for a new plan to deal with the resurgence of the Mass and Cass drug market.

You can’t have addicts without drugs, and efforts to clear open-air drug markets are bound to be short-lived as long as the suppliers are working.

As Gayla Cawley reported in the Herald, Flynn’s hearing order stated: “There is an urgent need to reevaluate the current strategies in addressing the public safety, quality of life, neighborhood services, and public health issues related to the situation in Mass and Cass and in the impacted neighborhood of South End, Roxbury, Dorchester and South Boston.”

“We need to identify ways to improve the city’s response to the opioid crisis, drug-dealing activities, and homelessness,” Flynn wrote.

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The Boston Police Department’s Drug Control unit has been doing a terrific job of arresting and charging people with drug trafficking, selling, and possessing firearms and ammo. We need more officers.

But that’s half the solution. Getting addicts off the streets and arresting dealers won’t ultimately take down the opioid crisis in Boston and the country.

For that, you have to follow the money.

As Flint McColgan reported,  Schuyler Oppenheimer. of Cambridge,  allegedly conducted illicit trade with Chinese suppliers under the name “Michael Sylvain.” He was arrested last week and charged in federal court in Boston with possession of 500 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and two counts of wire fraud. This followed an investigation which indicated he could have produced millions of counterfeit pills — partially funded through Paycheck Protection Program loan fraud.

There’s a lot to unpack here, but a key takeaway is Oppenheimer’s alleged work with Chinese traders.

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According to a DEA report, China is the primary source of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked through international mail…as well as the main source for all fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the United States.

In February, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas met with People’s Republic of China State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong in Vienna, to boost cooperation with the PRC to fight against fentanyl. Discussions were held, commitments were made, and the fentanyl continues to flow.

Senator Elizabeth Warren isn’t having it.

At a January hearing of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, Warren called for action to address crypto’s role in facilitating the illicit fentanyl trade.

“Crypto plays a role at every stage in the illicit fentanyl trade,” Warren said. “Chinese companies sell the chemical ingredients used to make fentanyl to drug cartels and they get paid in crypto. The drug cartels and the traffickers sell their deadly drugs in the darkest marketplaces, and they get paid in crypto.”

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Warren’s bipartisan Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act aims to close loopholes in U.S. anti-money laundering rules to crack down on crypto’s use by drug traffickers and other bad actors.

The bill hasn’t moved since the January hearing. The victims of fentanyl and their families need action now.

 

Editorial cartoon by Gary Varvel (Creators Syndicate)

 



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Boston, MA

What we know about wrong-way driver killed in head-on collision with state trooper in Lynnfield – The Boston Globe

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What we know about wrong-way driver killed in head-on collision with state trooper in Lynnfield – The Boston Globe


Court records show that Marrero was the father of three children, the oldest of whom is 17. The youngest two children, twins, are 13 years old; Marrero’s death came days before their 14th birthday.

Records in Middlesex Probate and Family Court also suggest that Marrero faced financial difficulties and personal troubles, stemming in part from a work injury that family members said caused a bout of depression and deteriorating behavior in his personal life.

For nearly a decade, Marrero worked at Dewberry, a Boston engineering consulting firm, court records show, obtaining a job as an architectural design apprentice in 2005. He left the company in 2014, according to a company spokesperson.

Hernan Marrero.Facebook

Throughout that time, he doubled as a bartender on the side, working at Mexican restaurants in Boston and Waltham, court records show.

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A knee injury ended Marrero’s career at Dewberry, court records show, and he left the company shortly thereafter.

That injury, according to court documents, was the catalyst for what his wife described as a “major depressive episode,” which she said contributed to the strain in their marriage. The couple, who had been married for more than 20 years, separated in 2022.

Records also show that Marrero struggled with debts to family members and credit card companies. During his divorce proceedings, it was unclear how much money he was taking home in income.

Marrero briefly owned and operated a contracting business, 109 Construction, but the corporation was administratively dissolved in 2024, according to state filings.

Marrero had lived in US since at least 2001, holding legal status. He became a naturalized citizen in March 2021, court records show.

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Social media posts suggest he was active in the tight-knit Venezuelan community in Massachusetts. Photos show him cheering on Venezuela at a World Baseball Classic watch party in Brighton earlier this year.

Court records appear to show Marrero’s interest in art and music, owning a Venezuelan guitar, conga drums, and several Venezuelan paintings, as well as homemade winemaking setup.

Marrero’s family could not be reached for comment. A close friend reached by the Globe declined to comment.

Trainor had just completed his shift at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday and was driving home when he responded to a report for a Jeep traveling south in the northbound lanes of Route 1, near the Lynnfield overpass.

Raised in Salem, Trainor began his public safety career as an Essex County correction officer before graduating from the State Police academy in 2023, State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said.

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Trainor’s fiancée, Jessica D. Ostrowski, of Georgetown, posted an emotional message to social media Thursday, describing the late trooper as “my absolute best friend.”

“I am beyond proud for the amount of love you have been given by those who loved and cared about you,” she wrote.

Travis Andersen and Jeremiah Manion of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Material from previous Globe coverage was used.


Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.





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Funding scandal-hit Croft schools in Boston to close this summer after all

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Funding scandal-hit Croft schools in Boston to close this summer after all


Administrators at the Croft School, struggling after allegations of financial fraud, haven’t been able to find a buyer for its Boston locations, which will now close at the end of the school year, parents were told Friday.

Millions of dollars were raised by families and community members to keep the private school open for a few more months while Croft School administrators scrambled to find a buyer. But in Friday’s email, the chief restructuring officer and independent sale advisor said that two parties expressed interest but they ultimately had to pivot toward winding operations down.

“To be clear, the 2025-2026 school year will be completed based on the availability of parent funding. However, without a viable timetable for a transaction, we are faced with this difficult decision,” the email said.

About 350 students had attended the Croft School’s three campuses, two in Boston and one in Providence. Regular tuition starts at $31,000, according to the website.

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Millions were raised to keep the private school open for a few more months but the Croft School is looking for a buyer as a long-term fix to its financial problems.

More than 60 families unenrolled from the South End campus over the weekend, the email said.

News of the debt crisis surprised parents in March, when the school’s board revealed in a letter that founding Executive Director Scott Given admitted to fabricating a letter of credit regarding a possible expansion and keeping two sets of books, overstating the school’s revenue while understating its expenses.

The discovery that the school was more than $13 million in debt came after police were alerted to possible fraud. The school has said it’s cooperating with multiple investigations involving Given, who has been suspended.

The private school, with two locations in Boston and one in Providence, requires $5 million to stay open for the rest of the schoolyear.

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Given has been sued by at least one Boston parent, accusing him of running a Ponzi scheme. His legal team has said he has no comment.

Parents rallied to save the school, raising enough funds to keep classes going.

The officials in charge of the sale noted “how hard many of you worked to maintain The Croft School as you know it,” but added that the “difficult circumstances, uncertain financials and condensed timeframe made this a trying environment for purchasers to timely make a binding offer for the schools.”



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Where to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 8

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Where to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 8


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Baseball is back and finding what channel your favorite team is playing on has become a little bit more confusing since MLB announced plans to produce and distribute broadcasts for nearly a third of the league.

We’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know Friday as the Tampa Bay Rays visit the Boston Red Sox.

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See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox?

First pitch between the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. (ET) on Friday, May 8.

How to watch Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox on Friday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Friday, May 8, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.

  • Matchup: TB at BOS
  • Date: Friday, May 8
  • Time: 7:10 p.m. (ET)
  • Venue: Fenway Park
  • Location: Boston, Massachusetts
  • TV: NESN, Rays.TV and WMOR
  • Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo

Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

MLB scores, results

MLB scores for May 8 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

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See scores, results for all of today’s games.



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