www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY May 19, 2019 6
DA’s Offi ce, DEA nab 176 lbs of cocaine, other narcotics
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Police wrangled up another
plethora of narcotics from Bronx
streets on Wednesday, May 8 after
year’s worth of intense investigating
.T
he NYPD and the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration
seized 176 pounds of cocaine with
a street value of almost $3 million
while indicting 19 on charges related
to traffi cking cocaine and
club drugs throughout the entire
city. Eleven of the accused are from
the Bronx.
“We will stop traffi ckers of any
illicit drugs that devastate lives and
neighborhoods,’” said District Attorney
Darcel Clark upon the news
of the bust.
The DA continued on, explaining
that the defendants are charged
in three indictments totaling 227
counts of various degrees of criminal
sale and criminal possession
of a controlled substance and conspiracy.
Two of the defendants are
charged with operating as a major
traffi cker, which carries a minimum
of 15 to 25 years to maximum
of life in prison if convicted.
Fourteen of the defendants were
arrested in the May takedown
while 12 have been arraigned before
Bronx Supreme Court Justice
John Carter, two are awaiting arraignment
and fi ve have not been
apprehended yet, police say.
“These are serious charges, and
bringing those who commit these
acts to justice is dangerous work,”
said NYPD Commissioner James
O’Neil after the bust.
According to the year-long investigation
by Clark’s offi ce, NYPD
Bronx Gang Squad, Drug Enforcement
Administration and Homeland
Security Investigations, the
defendants traffi cked large quantities
of the cocaine, which was then
sold in bulk to distributors, and
which in turn was sold in $10 and
$20 packets, sometimes in crack
form, and then disturbed on Valentine
Avenue, Grand Concourse and
East 187th Street.
One indictment charges ten
people with the cocaine operation.
It also charges Alvon Pierre and Elvis
Gomez for operating as a major
traffi cker.
During the police operation, investigators
seized the 176 pounds of
cocaine in a vehicle and packed in
suitcases in an apartment on 191st
Street in Flushing, Queens that is
connected to Pierre and co-defendant
Robert Nieves as well as the
Bronx dealers.
Prior to that, police seized
$135,000 from a secret compartment
in Gomez’ car in the Bronx.
Another indictment charges fi ve
people with distributing Ecstasy,
Xanax and Ketamine. According
that indictment, two of the defendants
conspired to import pills
from overseas, via international
mail. Authorities in Brussels, Belgium
intercepted 1.25 pounds of
pure controlled substances before
they could reach their destinations
in the Bronx and Manhattan, according
to the DA’s offi ce.
This bust comes just days after
the DEA seized over $2 million
worth of drugs, 1,200 oxycodone
pills of varying dosages, while arresting
over two dozen dealers and
pill pushers that were operating in
and around that same section of
the Grand Concourse where this
subsequent police operation was
executed.
“The NYPD, and its partners,
are committed to eradicating drug
traffi cking in the City of New
York…I commend the NYPD investigators,
DEA Agents, Homeland
Security Investigators, and
the members of the Bronx District
Attorney’s Offi ce for their work
in this signifi cant case,” O’Neil
proudly said.
The seized cocaine from the Bronx and elsewhere. Twitter
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