Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested a major drug trafficker in New York City, along with his employees, and $12 million worth of narcotics.
Authorities seized massive amounts of heroin, 1,000 fentanyl pills, and $200,000 in cash. Luis Martinez was identified as the ring leader and employed Sofia Medina, Maria Altagracia Berroa, and Jacqueline Sosa de Espinal to operate the drug mill.
“This drug den contained nearly $12 million dollars’ worth of narcotics and was like an opioid landmine capable of dispersing hundreds of thousands of heroin doses throughout [the] Northeast,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan.
Martinez set up shop inside a two-bedroom apartment in Queens. According to reports, "Two bedrooms in the apartment were set up for packaging heroin [...] In one, agents found 31 kilogram-sized brick packages wrapped in duct tape allegedly containing heroin. They also discovered an additional 6 kilos of loose powder inside plastic containers and bags."
Agents also retrieved packaging and labeling which read, “Red Scorpion,” “The Hulk,” “Universal,” “Hard Target,” “Last Dragon, “Dope” and “Venom.”
“The shuttering of an assembly line able to pump out millions of street-ready heroin packages and deadly counterfeit fentanyl pills will save lives across New York City and our entire region,” said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan. “The volume of lethal drugs flooding our city is causing a record number of overdose deaths. This investigation succeeded because of the expertise and cooperation of our federal and local partners.”
Martinez was formally charged with operating as a major trafficker, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminally using drug paraphernalia and other related charges. His employees face charges of unlawful possession of a controlled substance and using drug paraphernalia. Martinez's bail was set at $750,000 while his employees had their bails set at $400,000, $220,000, and $200,000.
Source: nydailynews.com
