Two charged, including fugitive in 2020 Bronx fentanyl packaging mill prosecution
Two men were arrested in the Fordham Manor neighborhood of the Bronx in connection with a large-scale heroin/fentanyl packaging and distribution operation. Approximately six kilograms of narcotics (over 13 pounds) with a street value of at least $1.8 million were intercepted during a short-term investigation. The narcotics were allegedly destined for distribution throughout New York City and Massachusetts. Overdose rates in New York City have escalated since the COVID-19 pandemic began and are at their highest rates ever. Fentanyl is the most common drug associated with overdose deaths.
Bridget G. Brennan, New York City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New York Division, and Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced the arrests. The investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Long Island District Office (LIDO) Task Force, which consists of agents and investigators from the DEA, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the Hempstead Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. The Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Investigators Unit and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) 46th Precinct’s Anti-Crime Team assisted in the investigation.
A criminal complaint filed by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor (SNP) charges DIEGO TEJADA-ROSARIO and VICTOR CAMACHO with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First and Third Degrees and Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree. Both men were arrested on Tuesday, August 2, 2022. TEJADA was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court this afternoon and CAMACHO is scheduled to be arraigned tonight.
On August 2, 2022, at approximately 12:23 p.m., agents and investigators were conducting surveillance outside of a location believed to be used as a narcotics mill, located at 2815 Grand Concourse, Apt. A41, when they observed TEJADA allegedly exit the apartment carrying a gray backpack. TEJADA left the building and walked south on Grand Concourse. A few minutes later, at 12:29 p.m., investigators saw CAMACHO exit the same apartment carrying a multi-colored tote shopping bag. CAMACHO also left the building and got into a taxi.
Agents and officers stopped TEJADA at approximately 12:40 p.m. and searched the gray backpack, allegedly recovering more than a kilogram of heroin/fentanyl, as well as empty glassine envelopes, stamps, an ink pad, a digital scale, a drug ledger and other materials commonly used in packaging narcotics.
At approximately 12:45 p.m., agents and investigators stopped the taxi in which CAMACHO was a passenger in front of 2675 Grand Concourse. The multi-colored tote bag that CAMACHO had been seen carrying was found in the trunk with boxes containing thousands of empty glassine envelopes inside.
Members of DEA’s Long Island District Office obtained a court-authorized SNP search warrant for 2816 Grand Concourse, Apt. A41, at approximately 3:48 p.m. Keys recovered from TEJADA and CAMACHO opened the door of the apartment.
Inside the apartment, agents and investigators recovered over one kilogram of heroin/fentanyl split into four packages, tens of thousands of pre-packaged glassine envelopes containing heroin/fentanyl, more than 20,000 empty glassine envelopes that were stamped and ready for packaging, 12 digital scales, 14 coffee grinders (commonly used for mixing narcotics), 21 ink pads and four stamps, including one with the brand name “Tik Tok.” The narcotics and paraphernalia were packed inside of three suitcases and additional bags.
Agents and investigators also seized a Dominican Republic passport with TEJADA’s photo, but a different name, from the apartment.
TEJADA was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court this afternoon and ordered remanded. As stated during the arraignment, TEJADA was previously charged by SNP on January 27, 2020 on a separate case involving fentanyl. He and five other individuals were found inside an active narcotics packaging mill in the Bronx. More than 40,000 glassine envelopes of fentanyl worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on the street were recovered. Because Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and other charges that TEJADA faced were not then bail eligible, as a result of bail reforms that took effect in early 2020, TEJADA was released without any monetary conditions on supervised release. He was arraigned on an indictment in Manhattan Supreme Court, Part 22, on August 3, 2021, in connection with that arrest. However, he failed to appear at the next scheduled court date, and a judge issued a bench warrant for TEJADA on November 18, 2021. Tejada did not return to court until he was arraigned today on his new arrest.
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan thanked Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, and commended SNP’s Special Investigations Bureau and Investigators Unit, DEA New York Division and DEA’s Long Island District Office Task Force, including the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the Hempstead Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. She also thanked the NYPD’s 46th Precinct’s Anti-Crime Team for assisting in the investigation.
“Fentanyl-related deaths continue to surge across our city and nation, as tremendous amounts of the deadly drug flood our city, intended for distribution here and across the region. These arrests demonstrate the significant hurdles we face as we try to rein in the opioid crisis in the city, and some significant issues related to changes to bail laws. Our state legislators have demonstrated some willingness to refine sections of bail reform laws, including allowing bail when large amounts of deadly narcotics are recovered. However, more needs to be done to protect the safety and well-being of New Yorkers,” said Special Prosecutor Brennan.
DEA Special Agent in Charge Tarentino said, “This investigation led us to a drug den responsible for preparing and branding poisonous doses of drugs for street-ready sale. This organization used numerous types of stamps to attract the younger generations like “Tik Tok”, “Capn Crunch”, and “PS 5.” Every day, DEA and our law enforcement partners defeat criminal organizations by seizing their drugs before they are sold and before the users become victims. Through the diligent work by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, Nassau County DA Office and the DEA’s Long Island District Office, these two defendants have been brought to justice.”
“Each bag of narcotics seized is a potential overdose prevented,” DA Donnelly said. “Heroin and fentanyl are equal opportunity killers that are devastating our communities. With this seizure, we’ve removed thousands of deadly doses and saved lives. I thank our partners at the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their dedication to ending the opioid epidemic.”
The charges and allegations are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
