On Tuesday night, federal and state authorities raided a New York City apartment, seizing more than $1,100,000 worth of cocaine and methamphetamine, a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) prosecutor announced Friday.
New York Police Department officers, New York State Police as well as DEA agents found 30 pounds of meth and over eight pounds of cocaine in the bedroom closet of an upscale Mercedes House residence in Hell’s Kitchen, according to a press release by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York.
Officials found $27,880 in cash in addition to the drugs stashed in a backpack, the release said.
In addition, two people, Colorado resident Jovanny Salas, 29, and Manhattan resident Sergio Betancourt Peralta, 34, were arrested as a result of the seizure, according to the release. Each suspect was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First, Second and Third Degrees, according to the release.
Both suspects have ties to Mexico, suggested by documentation confiscated by officers and agents, according to the release.
“These individuals had no regard for the dangers they, or this operation, brought to this community,” New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven G. James stated. “Today’s charges are a result of an aggressive strategy to stop illegal drug operations and keep deadly substances off our streets. We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to continue to intercept this type of illegal activity and the damage it does to our communities.”
The court-authorized search warrant was granted as part of an “investigation into methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking in New York City,” the release reads.
Before the search warrant was executed, undercover operatives as part of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, an arm of the DEA, were conducting surveillance of the immediate area, according to the release.
The unit reportedly observed Salas as he departed the residence via elevator, descending from the 27th floor to the main lobby below. There, he was met by DEA agents and police, according to the release, and was apprehended.
Salas was found with a wallet identifying the name of the second suspect, and a key to the above apartment. Authorities then searched unit 27F, encountering Betancourt Peralta inside, who was also taken into custody, according to the release.
“Our investigations take us all over New York City and the world, but this investigation led us to a million-dollar cocaine seizure in Hell’s Kitchen,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said, according to the press release. “DEA and our law enforcement partners are steadfast in bringing to justice those responsible for pushing illegal drugs onto our streets.”
“Like deadly fentanyl, methamphetamine is a highly addictive synthetic drug damaging lives in our city and across the country,” said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan. “Cocaine seizures in our city are also surging. I thank our law enforcement partners in the DEA, NYPD and New York State Police for their collaboration and commitment to reining in the supply of deadly drugs.”
Salas and Betancourt Peralta were arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court Wednesday night. They remain in custody at Riker’s Island pending either $75,000 bail or $100,000 bond, The New York Post reported.
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Author: John Symank
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