WARREN — The Maine Drug Enforcement Agency has charged six individuals with trafficking in Suboxone for their roles in attempting to smuggle the drug into Maine State Prison in Warren.

During a two-month investigation, MDEA agents from the Mid-Coast District Task Force, Maine State Police and the prison's Investigative Unit conducted a joint investigation into trafficking Suboxone strips. During the investigation, 29 Suboxone strips were seized packaged and destined to be delivered into the prison during a visitation, according to Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland.

The drugs were allegedly mailed to Maine by Manny Sylvia, 29, of New Bedford, Mass. Sylvia had recently been release from Maine State Prison after serving a sentence for trafficking oxycodone and cocaine in the state. He was arrested by the MDEA in 2011 in Thomaston for possessing more than 400 oxycodone pills, 3 ounces of cocaine and 7 grams of heroin. He is currently on probation for those charges, according to McCausland.

On April 21, Sylvia was arrested by the Bristol County Drug Task Force in Massachusetts on a Maine MDEA warrant for aggravated trafficking in Suboxone, class A. Extradtion proceedings are pending.

Agents also charged Emily Michaud, 18, of Portland and Rosa Colon, 37, of Waterville, for allegedly receiving and repackaging the Suboxone strips in preparation for the drugs to be brought into the state prison. Michaud and Colon were both charged with class B trafficking.

Maine State Prison inmates Michael Bailey, 31, Jorge Santiago, 33, and Tyler Crawford, 20, were all summonsed for class B trafficking in Suboxone. They are alleged to have coordinated with individuals outside the prison, by arranging payments for the Suboxone and the methods by which the drugs would be smuggled into the facility.

All six are scheduled to appear in Knox County Superior Court in Rockland on July 23.

"Suboxone is the most sought after drug in the Maine State Prison and is sold within the state prison for over $400 per strip," said the MDEA in a press release. "The same Suboxone strips can be purchased outside of the state prison for between $7 and $10 per strip."

Anyone with information about the illegal sale of drugs in this state is urged to contact the MDEA office closest to them or call the MDEA tip-line at 800-452-6457.