Tewksbury police arrest two on drug charges after hotel bust

TEWKSBURY — Chief Ryan Columbus announced that the Tewksbury Police Department apprehended two individuals on drug-related offenses Friday.

Julio Rivera, age 35, of Lawrence, faces charges for possession of a Class A drug (subsequent offense), while Kara Waugh, age 31, also of Lawrence, has been charged with possession of a Class A drug and possession of a Class B drug.

On April 12, around 3:21 a.m., police officers responded to a call at the Marriott Residence Inn on Andover Street.

They discovered drugs and paraphernalia in a room during their investigation.

It was also uncovered that Waugh had multiple outstanding warrants for drug and theft charges.

Both Waugh and Rivera were taken into custody without any incidents.

Following their arrest, Waugh and Rivera were brought before the Lowell District Court for arraignment on Friday.

Later in the afternoon, a search warrant executed at the hotel room led to the seizure of additional substances, suspected to be cocaine and Fentanyl, and items indicative of drug distribution and sales.

In light of the findings from the search, the Tewksbury Police Department is preparing to issue warrants against Waugh and Rivera for trafficking Fentanyl (more than 100 grams) and trafficking cocaine (more than 36 grams).