United States Drug Enforcement Administration

James J. Hunt, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DEA New York Division; Bridget G. Brennan, New York City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor; New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill; George P. Beach II, Superintendent of the New York State Police; and Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced the seizure of approximately 25 kilograms of suspected heroin and fentanyl (over 55 pounds), worth up to $7.5 million, from an alleged drug packaging mill in the Soundview neighborhood of the Bronx.

At approximately 11:05 pm last night, members of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force (NYDETF) Group T-12 and the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s (SNP) Investigators Unit conducted a court authorized search of 1240 Morrison Avenue, Apt. 3E in the Bronx as part of an ongoing investigation into a narcotics trafficking group. In addition to the suspected heroin and fentanyl, which were packaged in kilogram form, agents and investigators recovered a variety of equipment necessary to process the narcotics for street-level distribution, including more than 100 different ink stamps for branding individual dose envelopes. Five individuals were arrested and are expected to be arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court later today on charges of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First and Third Degrees and Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree.

Prior to the search, agents and investigators were conducting surveillance in the vicinity of 1240 Morrison Avenue at approximately 8:20 p.m. when they observed defendant Luis Guzman-Rojas, 46, enter the apartment building empty handed and exit a short time later with a weighted black plastic shopping bag. Guzman-Rojas then entered a livery car, which investigators followed and stopped near the intersection of Bruckner Boulevard and Hunts Point Avenue. After observing Guzman-Rojas seated in the rear of the vehicle with a plastic-wrapped kilogram of suspected heroin marked with the letters “LV” and the same shopping bag he carried from the apartment building, investigators placed him under arrest.

The Office of the SN{ obtained a search warrant for 1240 Morrison Avenue, Apt. 3E. At approximately 11:05 p.m., agents, officers and investigators entered the two-bedroom apartment and found four individuals present in the living room area: Matias Rosario-Ramon, 37, Anthony Polanco, 29, Willy De La Cruz, 28, And Pedro Sandoval, 26.

During the search, agents recovered approximately 11 kilograms of a substance consistent in appearance with heroin inside a duffel bag in the closet of the first bedroom, another 10 kilograms hidden in the wall behind the medicine cabinet and approximately 230 grams of heroin inside a green plastic bag in the dresser of the first bedroom. Inside the second bedroom were three digital scales, four strainers, 12 electric coffee grinders, 16 tape dispensers and nearly 300 rolls of tape. Also in that bedroom were three large cases of glassine envelopes containing hundreds of individual envelopes and over 100 ink stamps with inkpads. Names on the stamps included, “Dexter,” “Death,” “100%,” “UPS,” “Heartless” and “Super High.”

The DEA estimates the black market value of the heroin at $7.5 million.

SNP Bridget G. Brennan thanked the DEA’s New York Division and the NYDETF Group T-12, which is comprised of agents and officers with the DEA, the New York City Police Department and the New York State Police, for their work on the case; and commended the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and her office’s Special Investigations Bureau and Investigators Unit.

The charges and allegations are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.