Major Seizure of 580 Pounds of Cocaine Seized at a Self- Storage Facility in Long Island City
Cocaine Allegedly Destined for Distribution in Manhattan and New Jersey
NEWARK, N.J. - Special Agent in Charge of the DEA's New Jersey Field Division Towanda R. Thorne-James, New York City's Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, New Jersey State Police Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle, and Port Authority Superintendent of Police Edward Cetnar announced the seizure of approximately 266 kilograms of cocaine (over 580 pounds) of cocaine and the arrest of Nelson Salcedo following his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court.
On August 26, 2026, members of DEA New Jersey Field Division, New Jersey State Police, the New York Police Department 25th Precinct, and Port Authority Police Department were conducting an investigation into a high level cocaine trafficking organization. This investigation is related to an earlier investigation in collaboration with the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.
Over the course of two weeks, beginning on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, agents and officers twice observed Salcedo dropping off weighted cardboard boxes in Manhattan in the vicinity of the northern end of Central Park. On these two occasions Salcedo allegedly delivered multiple boxes to another individual who remains unapprehended. Both alleged deliveries occurred on Wednesday evenings and n both instances, Salcedo transported the boxes in a Nissan van.
Anticipating another possible Wednesday delivery, agents and officers established surveillance on Salcedo's vehicle this week and tracked it to a self-storage facility located at 41-02 Northern Boulevard in Long Island City. On August 26, at approximately 4:20 p.m., agents and officers were conducting surveillance at the self-storage facility and observed Salcedo make two trips inside. Each time he allegedly returned with a number of brown cardboard boxes. After observing Salcedo loading some of these boxes into the Nissan van, agents and officers approached and detained him. They allegedly saw 12 boxes inside the Nissan van and 7 more on the ground near the vehicle. Agents and officers froze the location and obtained a court authorized search warrant for the boxes and the vehicle.
During the subsequent court authorized search, agents and officers recovered approximately 147 brickshaped packages of alleged cocaine in varying sizes from inside the 12 cardboard boxes inside the vehicle. Another 83 brick-shaped packages of suspected cocaine were found inside seven boxes on the ground. Some of the packages contained multiple kilograms of suspected cocaine. In total approximately 266 kilograms of cocaine were recovered from inside the 19 cardboard boxes (with an approximate street value of $10 million). Field tests performed on the seized narcotics yielded positive results for cocaine. NYPD laboratory analyses on the substances recovered are pending.
“The seizure of more than 580 pounds of cocaine is a significant disruption to the criminal organizations responsible for distributing dangerous drugs throughout our communities,” said DEA New Jersey Field Division Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James. “This investigation demonstrates the effectiveness of the strong partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and our shared commitment to identifying and dismantling high-level drug trafficking organizations. DEA New Jersey will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those responsible for bringing illicit drugs into our communities.”
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said, “This appears to be the largest single cache of cocaine my office has seized in 20 years. Cocaine trafficking has caused significant damage to our city and continues to claim lives, especially when mixed with fentanyl and sold to unwitting buyers. In fact, it is present in more than half of all overdose deaths in New York City. I commend the tireless efforts of our attorneys, and seamless collaboration with the DEA New Jersey Field Office agents, New York City detectives, and all the partners who were essential to this investigation.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said, “This seizure of 266 kilograms of cocaine, with an
estimated street value of $10 million, represents the NYPD’s largest cocaine bust in at least a decade,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “This enormous takedown is the direct result of the painstaking work carried out by the members of the NYPD. Thanks to our investigators and our law enforcement partners in this case, these drugs will never make it onto the streets of New York City.”
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said, “This seizure strikes a massive blow to the narcotics
supply chain in the tri-state area. Law enforcement is working together with the shared goal to disrupt and dismantle these operations, which have flooded our streets with dangerous narcotics. I thank our partners at the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, the New York City Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their extraordinary work on this case.”
New Jersey State Police Acting Superintendent Jeanne Hengemuhle said, “Every major drug
seizure is more than just removing dangerous narcotics from our streets—it is a direct effort to
safeguard our communities. These substances can destroy lives, fuel addiction, drive violent crime, and tear families apart. By disrupting the networks responsible for bringing these drugs into our eighborhoods, we’re stopping that harm before it can take root. This seizure underscores the unwavering commitment, collaboration, and professionalism of our law enforcement partners, whose dedication makes outcomes like this possible and sends a strong message that we will continue to pursue those who profit from putting harmful drugs into our communities.”
Port Authority Superintendent of Police Edward Cetnar said, “Narcotics traffickers don’t stop at state lines, and neither does this region’s law enforcement. This significant seizure demonstrates what coordinated action across agencies and jurisdictions can accomplish: disrupting a major trafficking operation and preventing a staggering quantity of illegal narcotics from reaching our communities. This case underscores why law enforcement across our region must, and will, continue to operate as one unified team.”
A criminal complaint filed by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor charges Salcedo with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First and Third Degrees.
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan thanked Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, and commended SNP’s Special Investigations Bureau, the New York City Police Department, the DEA New Jersey Field Division, the New Jersey State Police, and the Port Authority Police Department for their work on the investigation.
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