Drug mill table in the Bronx.
Courtesy DEA New York Task Force Division
Six people were arrested and $500,000 worth of fentanyl and heroin were seized during a raid on an alleged Bronx drug packing mill, law enforcement officials said on Wednesday.
Federal, state and local officers found approximately three kilograms (over six pounds) of fentanyl in an apartment inside 1311 Merriam Ave. in Highbridge during a recent sting operation.
The drug organization also appeared to be bottling counterfeit xylazine, which is a veterinary tranquilizer often found in combination with fentanyl. Law enforcement sources said narcotics were found throughout the mill apartment, including a bag of fentanyl packets inside a baby bouncer seat.
Arrested on March 12 were Wandely Garcia Ramon Pena Jiminez, Juan Garcia Villa, Wendilson Henriquez Hiciano, Wanny Castillo Sanchez, and Carlos Garcia. All the suspects are from the Bronx, except Pena Jimenez; their ages range from 30 to 65.
They are each charged with first- and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia.
Bail was set on March 19 at $100,000 for Pena Jimenez, $50,000 for Wandley Garcia and $25,000 for Castillo Sanchez, Carlos Garcia, and Henriquez Hiciano. Garcia Villa was remanded without bail.
“Sadly, the Bronx continues to be a prime location for high-volume illegal fentanyl packaging operations,” Bridget Brennan, NYC’s special narcotics prosecutor, said. “Not only did we recover more than six pounds of fentanyl, investigators also found bottles of counterfeit veterinary sedatives and medications.”
The New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, which includes members of the NYPD, the New York State Police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) were part of the sting.
The investigation began when the team observed unusual foot traffic at the six-story apartment building, including men repeatedly entering and exiting the apartment carrying bags, according to court papers.
Multiple garbage bags dumped outside allegedly contained materials frequently associated with drug packaging, including disposable respirator masks and glassine envelopes with a powdery residue that tested positive for fentanyl in NYPD Laboratory analysis.
Members of a DEA task force executed a court-authorized search warrant for the apartment, where several suspects attempted to flee as officers entered. Two people were seen climbing onto a fire escape while another went up the stairs. Three remained inside.
In the living room, a table held lines of powdered fentanyl alongside thousands of stamped glassine envelopes, both filled and empty. Officers also found drug processing and packaging equipment, as well as fentanyl glassines bundled together in paper, inside a bag in a baby bouncer seat.
The kitchen contained boxes of empty glassine envelopes, included some stored in an oven. Officers found a cooler holding powder and a kilogram press used for drug production. In a bedroom, the team found more packaged envelopes and bottles labeled as xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer often mixed with fentanyl.
Lab work later found the bottles instead contained other substances, including diphenhydramine (an ingredient in Benedryl) and procaine (commonly known by the brand name Novocain).
Subsequent DEA Laboratory analysis on the powdered narcotics found in the apartment identified fentanyl and heroin, mixed with a benzodiazepine (a class of drugs used to treat anxiety).
Four suspects will be arraigned on April 10; the remaining suspects will be arraigned on May 1 in Manhattan Supreme Court.
