Authorities in the Bronx, New York, have uncovered a $24 million drug operation.
On Monday, police raided a unit in Henwood Place apartments. Once inside, they located 39-year-old Julio Mota Plasencia and an apartment littered with kilos of cocaine, heroin, crystal meth, and thousands of fake pills with the marking “M-30,” a commonly used oxycodone indicator. However, police believe the pills contain fentanyl. The illicit drugs weighed 250 pounds and have a street value of $24 million.
Among the discoveries were two duffle bags containing 30 to 40 kilograms of narcotics and three zip-close bags full of heroin, two of which were labeled “Cartel” and “Goma.” Police also found four boxes of ammunition in that same closet. Drug paraphernalia was located throughout the apartment, as well as multiple IDs with different names and locations.
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan says finding such large quantities of drugs in an apartment is unusual. However, he says such drug operations are indicative of the high-level traffickers that New York has been facing recently.
DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said that New York is being strongly affected by major drug enterprises. He believes Plasencia’s arrest also brings attention to an alarming trend of drug dealers purposely deceiving people into taking fentanyl.
“This significant seizure proves that today’s traffickers have all the ingredients to make toxic cocktails for retail sales, deliberately blinding the users of what they are really getting,” Tarentino said.
On Tuesday evening, Plasencia was charged with multiple drug charges. He is being held without bond.
