United States Drug Enforcement Administration

BRONX, N.Y. - Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that three men have been indicted for operating a Fentanyl mill in the Bronx that supplied traffickers in the metropolitan area.

District Attorney Clark said, “The defendants allegedly operated a fentanyl mill that packaged thousands of glassine envelopes of the drug that continues to rip apart families and kill people in our community. I thank our partners at the DEA and DETF for their work with us to shut down this factory.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said, “This investigation is another example of how fentanyl mills feed deadly poison to drug trafficking organizations throughout New York City and the Northeast.  The DEA New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Group T-41 and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office worked tirelessly to shut down this one-stop-fentanyl shop where the defendants cut, packaged, and delivered their product with no concern to public safety.   Fentanyl continues to be DEA’s priority and is the most urgent threat to public health.   I commend our partners at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, New York City Police Department, and the New York State Police for their collaboration in our fight to save lives.” 

District Attorney Clark said Miguelange Lopez, 29, and Adell Batista, 23, both of Manhattan,  were arraigned today on second-degree Conspiracy, first-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, two counts of third-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, two counts of seventh-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, two counts of second-degree Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, third-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, and Possession of Ammunition before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Kim Parker. The defendants are due back in court on February 5, 2023. A third defendant, Darlin Garcia, 33, of Passaic NJ, will be arraigned on the indictment on November 30, 2023.

According to the investigation, on October 19, 2023, the defendants were in an apartment in 55 East 179th Street in the Bronx, where they were allegedly importing fentanyl through Pennsylvania and Connecticut and packaging it for distribution. Investigators found approximately 8,500 glassine envelopes of fentanyl, packaging materials, and a loaded handgun inside. Lopez was observed handing glassines of fentanyl to Garcia in a vehicle outside of the location. Garcia was later arrested and approximately 20,000 glassines of fentanyl were recovered.  The estimated street value of the drugs is approximately $300,000.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Alessandra Ambrosi of the Special Investigations Bureau, under the supervision of Craig Cecchini, Chief of the Special Investigations Bureau, and under the overall supervision of Denise Kodjo, Deputy Chief of the Investigations Division, and Wanda Perez-Maldonado, Chief of Investigations Division. District Attorney Clark thanked Trial Preparation Assistant Emely Rosario Lugo and BXDA Copy Center Manager Jeffrey Moro for their assistance in the case.

District Attorney Clark thanked the DEA New York Division Drug Enforcement Task Force comprising agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department and the New York State Police for their work on the investigation.