TEWKSBURY — A 51-year-old Methuen man was arrested on drug trafficking charges Thursday following a joint investigation conducted by the Tewksbury, Billerica and Methuen police departments, as well as the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office.
Jose Jorge Villar, 51, of Methuen, was arrested on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, at a hotel on Andover Street in Tewksbury and charged with the following:
- Trafficking in 36 Grams or More of Fentanyl
- Trafficking in 18 Grams or More of Fentanyl
- Trafficking in 18 Grams or More of Cocaine
Villar was also arrested on a Lowell District Court warrant from the same investigation charging him with three counts of trafficking in more than 10 grams of fentanyl.
According to the Tewksbury Police Department, the investigation began in September and centered on Villar’s alleged involvement in drug distribution in the Merrimack Valley.
During the Oct. 1 operation, investigators searched Villar’s vehicle and his residence in Methuen and seized approximately 101.8 grams of suspected fentanyl, 24.4 grams of suspected crack cocaine, and $18,973 in cash. Villar’s vehicle was also seized, according to Tewksbury police.
Villar was arraigned in Lowell District Court on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
