Over 25 Pounds of Fentanyl and Cocaine and $100,000 Cash Seized in Bronx Apartment
Drug operation uncovered as federal authorities arrest fugitive
A cache of more than 12 kilograms (25 pounds) of suspected fentanyl and cocaine and $100,000 were recovered after members of the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force executed an unrelated arrest warrant at a residence in Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx. When officers with the Fugitive Task Force entered 536 Kappock Street, Apt. 6E, at approximately 6 a.m. on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, they made an incidental discovery of a trove of narcotics and drug packaging equipment. A woman who was the subject of the fugitive arrest warrant and a second individual were inside the apartment. Members of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force (NYDETF) were alerted and seized the narcotics during a court-authorized search.
A criminal complaint filed by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor charges Jonathan CORONA and Aracely ORTIZ (the subject of the fugitive arrest warrant) with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First and Third Degrees.
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, Ralph Sozio, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of New York, New York City Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James announced the arrests following arraignments, which occurred over the weekend in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said, “New York City continues to be a regional hub of narcotics trafficking. Our office and law enforcement partners must be ever vigilant to staunch the flow of lethal drugs like fentanyl. Close collaboration between local, state, and federal law enforcement enabled the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force and the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force to effectively intercept deadly drugs before they hit the streets.”
DEA New York Division Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said, “These arrests and the seizure of over 25 pounds of fentanyl and cocaine reflects the partnership the DEA has with our federal and local law enforcement partners when working together. I commend the quick action of the U.S. Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force and our DEA New York Drug Enforcement Task Force in responding so quickly in removing these illicit drugs off our streets.”
U.S. Marshal Ralph Sozio said, “This was another successful takedown of a fugitive, which led to an incidental discovery of serious drug-related activities. I want to commend the NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, NYPD, and NYS Police for their tireless pursuit in apprehending our city’s fugitives, and in this case the seizure of fentanyl by the NYDETF, the leading cause of overdose deaths, off our city streets.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said, “Today’s charges are another example of the remarkable combined efforts of NYPD investigators and our state and federal law enforcement partners. Their skill and dedication are unparalleled, and I commend every member of the U.S. Marshals’ task forces for their commitment to reducing crime and enhancing quality of life in all our neighborhoods.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “This case speaks to the tremendous interagency coordination and cooperation necessary to get illegal drugs out of our communities. Each arrest, each seizure is saving lives and decreases the additional crime that surrounds these dangerous drug operations. I thank our State Police members and law enforcement partners for their hard work and commitment to aggressively target and pursue criminals who perpetuate these criminal activities.”
As detailed in the criminal complaint, at approximately 6 a.m. on Wednesday, members of the Fugitive Task Force entered 536 Kappock Street, Apt. 6E, and observed CORONA allegedly exiting a bedroom, while ORTIZ was visible inside the bedroom.
Later that day, at approximately 1:35 p.m., members of NYDETF, Group T-22, conducted a court-authorized search of the two-bedroom apartment with assistance from the SNP Investigators Unit. Inside the first bedroom, agents and officers allegedly discovered a glass-topped table holding numerous glassine envelopes filled with fentanyl, as well as a scale and other narcotics packaging paraphernalia. A safe inside a bedroom closet allegedly concealed three brick-shaped white packages of fentanyl and two brick-shaped black packages of cocaine.
In a search of the second bedroom, agents and officers allegedly recovered a money counter, approximately $100,000 cash, a large bag containing six brick-shaped packages of cocaine, and three glass jars containing fentanyl. Ten additional packages of a yet to be identified substance were also recovered in the apartment.
Field test results on narcotics recovered from the safe were positive for the presence of fentanyl and cocaine. The results of DEA laboratory analysis of narcotics seized in the apartment are pending.
NYDETF Group T-22 is comprised of agents and officers from DEA New York Division, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and the New York State Police.
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan thanked Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, and commended DEA New York Division, the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, the U.S. Marshals NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force, and SNP’s Special Investigations Bureau and Investigators Unit, for their work on the investigation.
Defendants Charges Jonathan Corona Age: 36 Bronx, NY CPCS 1st – 2 counts, CPCS 3rd – 2 counts, and Aracely Ortiz Age: 43 Bronx, NY CPCS 1st – 2 counts, CPCS 3rd – 2 counts.
The charges and allegations are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty
