United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NEW YORK - Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Special Agent in Charge of the New York Enforcement Division, Farhana Islam, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Michael Alfonso, announced the arrests of KAREEM ANTOINE TURNER and ALEXANDER DARAVINA on narcotics and firearms charges for operating a fentanyl manufacturing facility in a Brooklyn residential apartment building.  TURNER and DARAVINA were arrested on April 13, 2026, and presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker, where they were ordered detained.

“Thanks to the outstanding work of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Enforcement Division and our law enforcement partners, a fentanyl production site operating within an apartment building (in Brooklyn) has been swiftly and decisively dismantled, averting what could have been devastating consequences for residents” stated DEA Northeast Regional Associate Chief of Operations Frank Tarentino. “Operations like this demonstrate the professionalism, coordination, and relentless commitment required to identify, disrupt, and eliminate these deadly production sites from our communities. By shutting down this operation and removing lethal substances from circulation, our agents and partners have prevented countless potential overdoses and saved lives. The DEA remains steadfast in its mission across the Northeast to ensure those responsible are identified and held accountable.”

“These individuals allegedly transformed an apartment into a fentanyl processing plant: mixing, pressing, and packaging fentanyl alongside other deadly narcotics with absolutely no regard for the health and safety of their neighbors,” said DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam.  “This was not just alleged drug trafficking; it was a potential death sentence to others living in the building.  The magnitude of this alleged operation, which resulted in the seizure of two pill press machines, one capable of producing thousands of deadly pills per hour, as well as two kilo press machines, underscores the scale and lethality of the threat we face every day.  Restoring safety to our neighborhoods is critical, but above all, saving lives remains our top priority.”

“As alleged, Kareem Turner and Alexander Daravina ran an industrial-scale pill mill in a Brooklyn apartment, pumping deadly fentanyl pills onto the streets of New York in mass quantities,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “Fentanyl is poison.  It kills New Yorkers every day.  If you are dealing in fentanyl, you are dealing in death.  Together with our law enforcement partners, we will use all resources available to give New Yorkers what they want and what they deserve: the destruction of these deadly factories and their operators in federal prison.”

“For years, HSI New York special agents and investigators have confronted the devastating impacts of fentanyl and other illicit narcotics, which fracture families, corrode neighborhoods, and turn ordinary apartments into covert pill mills that imperil entire communities,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso.  “These arrests are a stark reminder that these crimes are not just numbers on a page, but direct threats to the public's safety and well-being.  Through the disciplined collaboration of HSI New York, DEA New York, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and our Homeland Security Task Force partners, we are committed to safeguarding our city and dismantling the criminal enterprises that profit from poison in our neighborhoods.”

According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:

TURNER and DARAVINA converted a residential apartment in Brooklyn into a “Pill Mill” where they manufactured, stored, and sold kilograms of drugs, including fentanyl.   The Pill Mill contained an industrial-scale pill-press machine capable of manufacturing approximately 4,800 tablets per hour, a hand-cranked pill-press machine, two kilogram presses, and other industrial-grade equipment.

Electronic evidence gathered during the investigation revealed multiple pictures of the Pill Mill; messages in which TURNER and DARAVINA discussed the assembly of the pill-press machine; documents, including a troubleshooting guide and handwritten notes, relating to the manufacture of fentanyl; and FaceTime screenshots in which DARAVINA is seen examining drugs and guns.  Some of these photographs are included below:

On April 13, 2026, DEA and HSI agents searched the Pill Mill pursuant to a judicially authorized search warrant and found kilograms of fentanyl and other narcotics in powder and pill form, along with kilograms of ingredients used in the manufacture of fentanyl.  They also recovered two loaded guns hidden in a speaker inside the Pill Mill.  One of the guns had an extended magazine.  In ongoing testing, multiple kilograms of suspected narcotics found in the Pill Mill have tested positive for fentanyl.  Photographs from inside the Pill Mill that law enforcement agents took while executing the search warrant are below:

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TURNER, 47, of Brooklyn, New York, and DARAVINA, 45, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with (i) conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams and more of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and (ii) using a firearm during and in relation to, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of, that drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed, and a maximum term of life in prison.

The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA and HSI.  Mr. Clayton also thanked the New York State Police for their assistance in this case.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.