Heroin Epidemic Prompts Crackdown on Drug Trafficking Operations in New York
Federal authorities recently seized a massive amount of heroin at a single-family residence in Croton-on-Hudson, a village located in northern Westchester County.
According to officials with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), law enforcement seized more than 65 pounds of heroin that had been smuggled past the Mexican border and into Texas before being shipped across the country to New York. The drugs were then going to be sold to distributors throughout the Northeast, including New York City and Long Island.
The drugs were reportedly found in the axle of a truck outside the Westchester County NY house. DEA agents were able to track the heroin to the residence at the end of an investigation that lasted three months and involved a wiretap. Federal authorities indicated that the seized heroin has a street value of more than $2 million.
Authorities Targeting Heroin Distribution Operations
Police also arrested two individuals in connection with the alleged drug trafficking operation. One of the suspects is a 33-year-old man from Connecticut; the other suspect is a 47-year-old man from Texas. According to federal prosecutors, the suspects rented the unfurnished house for the sole purpose of stashing their heroin.
This recent drug bust was just the latest attempt by law enforcement to crack down on heroin smuggling operations that are responsible for the proliferation of dangerous narcotics in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere in the United States. In fact, DEA officials said that police seize more than 10,000 pounds of heroin on annual basis.
The crackdown by federal and state authorities has taken on a sense of urgency in recent months because there have been numerous reports of fatal heroin overdoses across the U.S. The dangers of heroin abuse and addiction are magnified when drug dealers lace the narcotics with other powerful narcotics like carfentanil. (Carfentanil is an analog of fentanyl, which is said to be 50 times stronger than heroin.)
After the recent heroin bust, Bridget Brennan, a special narcotics prosecutor in New York, commended the DEA agents who conducted the raid and made the arrests. Brennan said that the 65 pounds of heroin will now be kept from hitting the streets, which represents a major victory for law enforcement. Brennan also referred to the suspects as key players in a “sophisticated, well-funded heroin trafficking organization with roots in Mexico, and extending from Texas to the Northeast.”
The two suspects face very serious federal criminal charges, including first degree possession of heroin, second degree conspiracy, and second degree possession of drug paraphernalia.
For more information, read the CNN.com article, “New York Heroin Seizure a ‘Substantial’ Dent in Opioid Epidemic.”
If you have been arrested and charged with a drug crime in New York, you need to speak with a qualified criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. The experienced criminal defense lawyers at the LaDuca Law Firm can help you fight your criminal charges and stay out of jail. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation at our office in Rochester, New York.
