On April 10, the Special Narcotics Prosecutor of New York City announced that two men have been indicted after a lengthy investigation into a drug packaging location in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Various law enforcement agencies discovered thousands of glassine envelopes filled with fentanyl and other deadly drug mixtures at the site.
Prosecutor Bridget Brennan, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the New York State and City police jointly announced that the two men, Negrum and Castillo, were arrested at an apartment located at 4863 Broadway in Manhattan on January 24 of this year. They have recently been arraigned in the New York State Supreme Court. They are facing multiple charges, including first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
According to the indictment released on April 10, authorities found over 8,000 glassine envelopes containing fentanyl mixtures, more than 1.5 pounds of powdered Xylazine (commonly known as “tranq”, a non-opioid, animal sedative), and several bottles labeled as “Rompun,” a veterinary Xylazine.
At the scene, three boxes of Narcan, a medication used to reverse drug overdose, were discovered, one of which was empty, along with brand stamps on the glassine envelopes bearing names like “Toy Story” and “Mayo.”
“In a fentanyl factory located in a residential apartment, a Narcan box was found empty, indicating that the defendants understood that the white powder they were mixing and packaging could be life-threatening, without a doubt,” Brennan stated in a press release.
Prosecutors claimed that members of the drug enforcement team conducted surveillance at the aforementioned apartment on January 24 and observed Negrum carrying a heavy suitcase out of the building, subsequently transferring it to a car driven by an individual from Connecticut. The vehicle was stopped by authorities, who allegedly found approximately one kilogram of powdered narcotics hidden in a compartment in the car.
Analysis conducted by the DEA laboratory confirmed that the substance contained cocaine, Xylazine, lidocaine, and BTMPS (a chemical used in plastic manufacturing).
Subsequent laboratory tests on the substances found in the apartment revealed mixtures of fentanyl, heroin, tramadol, and other drugs. Authorities stated that they also seized all equipment required for the processing and packaging of drugs.
The two suspects were arrested on that day, while a third defendant was also apprehended for other charges, with the case being handled by Manhattan Criminal Court.
DEA New York division special agent Frank Tarentino described the apartment as a “drug processing factory,” warning about the potential devastating consequences when dangerous drug dealers transform apartments into drug processing sites.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch commended the collaboration behind the investigation, describing the seizure operation as a decisive blow to those attempting to “flood New York City with deadly drugs.”
It is believed that fentanyl in the United States often enters in small packages from China or that precursors of fentanyl chemicals are exported from China to Mexico and processed into fentanyl before entering the U.S.