An illegal immigrant arrested in Boston for allegedly peddling “poison” fentanyl while armed is also wanted in his home country for gun running, and appears to be part of the “second surge” of ICE arrests the agency vowed to roll out in the city.
Julio Soto-Heredia, 44, of the Dominican Republic, was arrested Sunday by ICE agents, the agency announced Tuesday. He’s also wanted in his home country for alleged firearms trafficking.
“After Dominican authorities charged Julio Soto-Heredia with firearms trafficking, he later illegally entered the United States and attempted to hide out in Boston,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde.
“If that weren’t bad enough, Soto-Heredia apparently illegally armed himself and attempted to peddle poison in our Massachusetts neighborhoods,” Hyde added. “ICE Boston will not stand idly by while illegal alien offenders victimize the residents of our New England communities. We will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien offenders.”
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Soto-Heredia remains in ICE custody.
The bust hits as Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership has committed to a second “surge” of arrests in Greater Boston.
The agency also announced the arrest of Kleber Lasso, an “illegal alien from Ecuador convicted for soliciting to commit murder and sentenced to only 1 year in jail. Brockton District Court failed to honor ICE’s detainer and released this criminal back onto Massachusetts’ streets.” He was arrested May 5.
On May 7, Senat Dufren, here illegally from Haiti, was arrested in Waltham and was charged with assault and battery and malicious destruction of property in Roxbury.
“Local authorities did not honor the detainer and released Dufren. He then went on to victimize more innocent Americans — including a pregnant woman. He was then arrested again on February 19, 2025, for assault and battery on a pregnant victim, assault and battery family/household, and assault and battery,” ICE added.
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On May 12, Elismar Alves Ferreira, here illegally from Brazil, was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, operating negligently, and disorderly conduct. ICE did not state the Massachusetts city or town where he was arrested.
Also on May 12, ICE arrested Carlos Araujo, an illegal alien from Uruguay. He was convicted of indecent assault and battery of a 7-year-old female.
On May 11, 2025, ICE arrested Fernando Pereira De Oliveria, here illegally from Brazil. He is charged with indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over. ICE did not state the Massachusetts city or town where he was arrested.
On May 7, ICE Boston arrested Irwin Alexander Martinez, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, “near Chelsea.” He is an MS-13 gang member, ICE added. On the same day, ICE stated the agency caught up to Noe Pena Garcia, a 24-year-old illegal from El Salvador and suspected MS-13 gang member.
Also on May 7, ICE Boston grabbed Sergey Ivashkevich, who had an active Interpol Red Notice out of Kazakhstan for extortion with threat of violence.
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Other arrests included suspected 18th Street gang members and cocaine dealers. The 18th Street clique, also known as Barrio 18, is a multi-ethnic street gang that started in Los Angeles and has become one of the nation’s largest gangs.
ICE and other federal agencies also arrested 11 roofers in Lowell on May 16. They were all Ecuadorian citizens. The feds targeted “a business with alleged unauthorized hiring practices” at a worksite in Lowell.
The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) coalition could not be immediately reached for comment.
ICE officers arrest 11 roofers in Lowell suspected of being in the country illegally. (ICE.gov photo)
Snow fell across Massachusetts overnight on Saturday and throughout Sunday morning thanks for a fast-moving low pressure system, according to the National Weather Service.
The snowfall is expected to continue into and through the afternoon in many communities, lasting longer in Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Counties, the weather service said. Southeastern Massachusetts is predicted to see 2 to 4 inches of snow, with cities and towns closest to the coast getting up to 6 inches. A winter weather advisory is set to remain in effect in these counties until 7 p.m. Sunday.
Read more: Mass. weather: Snowy Sunday with dangerous, arctic cold to follow
As of the early afternoon on Sunday, no communities had received more than 4 inches, according to the weather service. Falmouth and Dennis recorded getting the most snow so far at 4 inches as of 3:15 p.m.
Here are the snow totals for Massachusetts as of mid-afternoon on Sunday. This article will be updated throughout the day.
Good morning! We’ve got snow on tap for today, which will linger most of the day and night across southeastern Massachusetts. We’ll dry out in the early evening for most of the rest of eastern Massachusetts, with north central Massachusetts drying out the quickest.
Snow will be widespread throughout the morning and into the early afternoon. As we get to the late afternoon, snow becomes more isolated over central Massachusetts but is still hanging around the coast, southeast Mass. and the Cape and islands.
Into the evening, the snow will become ocean-enhanced over southeast Mass. and the Cape/islands.
That’s where totals will be the highest.
4 to 6 inches of snow is expected there by late Sunday night.
For the rest of us, just a chance for a few inches.
After this storm it’s all about the cold wind. Monday’s lows will drop to the teens with highs in the mid 20s. But a biting wind will make it feel only like the negative single digits in the morning and the teens in the afternoon. Bundle up! At least the sun will be out.
Tuesday is looking mostly sunny and not windy. Lows will drop to the teens with highs in the low 30s. Wednesday, breezy again with a start in the 20s and afternoon temperatures mild in the low 40s. Thursday will be downright warm! We’ll hit the upper 40s with chances for rain in the evening. Friday we’ll reach the low 50s with chances of rain in the morning. Saturday looks dry, partly sunny with highs back to near normal in the mid 30s.
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FILE – A man is using a special electric saw to cut a granite counter in a residential kitchen in preparation for installing a new range top. Getty Images
A Massachusetts man has been diagnosed with a life-altering lung disease linked to popular kitchen countertops.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed this week that its first case of silicosis had been diagnosed in a Hispanic man in his 40s who, for the past 14 years, worked for stone countertop fabrication and installation companies.
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What is silicosis?
Big picture view:
Silicosis is a serious, incurable lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica, which is found naturally in granite and other stones. Silicosis can become progressively disabling and sometimes prove fatal. It almost always results from work-related exposures.
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Dig deeper:
Silica dust particles become trapped in lung tissue, causing inflammation and scarring and reducing the lungs’ ability to take in oxygen, according to OSHA.
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Symptoms:
Symptoms of silicosis can include shortness of breath, cough and fatigue. Workers exposed to airborne crystalline silica also are at increased risk for lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and kidney disease.
What they’re saying:
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“Silicosis is a devastating, life-altering disease – and one that is also absolutely preventable,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “Massachusetts employers in industries where workers are exposed to silica dust have a responsibility to protect their workforce, including from harmful airborne dust. No worker should have to suffer from a chronic and insidious lung disease or possibly die because of a preventable exposure at work.”
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Countertop disease
Big picture view:
Crystalline silica commonly occurs in nature as the mineral quartz, and is found in granite, sandstone, quartzite, various other rocks and sand. Cutting, grinding, chipping, sanding, drilling and polishing these natural and manufactured stones can release various levels of crystalline silica dust particles that can be inhaled if proper protections aren’t in place.
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Dig deeper:
Engineered or manufactured stone, also commonly called quartz, is particularly problematic since it has more crystalline silica than natural stone.
By the numbers:
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For example, the average percent of crystalline silica in engineered stone is at least 90% in quartz and engineered stone, vs. a 10-45% makeup in granite, according to an OSHA hazard alert.
What you can do:
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Certain engineering controls, such as water spraying systems or remote-controlled tools, can be used to mitigate risk, as well as by wearing proper respiratory protection.
Silica cases in the U.S.
Big picture view:
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Most engineered stone workers with silicosis in the U.S. were exposed to silica at their jobs for over ten years, although some were exposed for less time.
The backstory:
The first reported case of silicosis in the U.S. associated with exposure to silica dust from engineered stone was identified in Texas in 2014, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Since then, other states have reported hundreds of cases, and dozens of deaths, particularly in California.
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Dig deeper:
In the U.S., most engineered stone workers with silicosis are relatively young, male, and Hispanic/Latino. This largely reflects the demographic composition of this industry’s workforce.
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In 2023, over half of workers in this industry were under 45 years old, nearly three-quarters were men, and more than 1 in 3 were Hispanic/Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from a Dec. 9, 2025, alert from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Background information was taken from OSHA. This story was reported from Detroit.