As part of an investigation into dangerous narcotics processing centers in the Big Apple, federal, state and local law enforcement officers recovered more than 40 pounds of suspected fentanyl, with an estimated street value of $1, 5 million in the Bronx.
This Thursday, a commission headed by Frank A. Tarentino III, special agent in charge of the New York Division of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), confirmed this seizure “six blocks from the Divino Niño daycare center, where a baby “The one-year-old died after exposure to fentanyl and three other children were poisoned.”
“The public outcry after the poisoning death of a child was not enough to stop the operation of a drug factory near this child care center,” Tarentino confirmed in a statement.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said that “once again” a large amount of fentanyl has been found in that county.
According to the details of this operation, this Tuesday, agents and officers from the DEA, the New York City Police (NYPD) and the State Police carried out a surveillance inspection on Heath Avenue in Salsa County.
Tracking down a suspect
At approximately 4:40 in the afternoon, a subject identified as Juan Gabriel Herrera Vargas was observed carrying a black bag towards the Kingsbridge Road subway station.
Through electronic surveillance, agents tracked Herrera as he traveled south and then made a return trip north on the Subway.
Then at 6:00 p.m., the suspect was seen leaving the Kingsbridge Road station and walking towards an apartment building at 2800 Heath Avenue, with a suitcase on wheels.
The police commission, after intercepting the suspect, ended up raiding an apartment that same night where they recovered one kilogram of alleged fentanyl, six pounds of loose powder, 10,000 filled bottles, scales, glass, stamps and elastic bands.
The fentanyl and packaging materials were found in the back bedroom, which also contained a glass table, set up to package narcotics with bright lights.
The second bedroom contained a large television monitor that was connected to a security camera to monitor the apartment. The windows of the apartment were covered with large black plastic garbage bags to ensure that nothing could be seen from the outside.
A criminal complaint filed by the Specialized Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office (SNP) charges Herrera Vargas with the crimes of major trafficker, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first and third degree, and criminal use of drug paraphernalia in the second degree.