United States Drug Enforcement Administration

CHICAGO — Federal law enforcement this month arrested an alleged drug trafficker and seized 22 firearms and multiple kilograms of narcotics from his Chicago storage unit.

Mario Neustadter sold fentanyl and methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer in Chicago on three occasions in January of February of this year, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The complaint charges Neustadter, 47, of Chicago, with distribution of a controlled substance. Neustadter was arrested on April 7, 2026.  He has been ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Young B. Kim to remain detained in federal custody pending trial.

During a detention hearing, the government advised the Court that federal law enforcement conducted a court-authorized search of Neustadter’s storage unit on the day of his arrest and discovered 22 firearms, approximately 30 kilograms of methamphetamine, 12 kilograms of cocaine, more than two kilograms of suspected fentanyl, and dozens of cell phones, among other items.  A photo of the seized items was entered into evidence at the hearing and can be viewed below.

The complaint and arrest were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Todd C. Smith, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. The officials noted that the investigation remains ongoing.

This investigation is part of Operation Fentanyl Free America, a DEA-led initiative to protect the United States from synthetic opioids by disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing its availability, and saving American lives.

“Today’s announcement underscores DEA’s commitment to removing fentanyl and other dangerous drugs, as well as illegally possessed firearms, from our communities,” said DEA SAC Smith. “Through Operation Fentanyl Free America and strong partnerships with the Chicago Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department, and all of our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to saving American lives from tragic drug overdoses and poisonings.”

“I commend the actions of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners who worked diligently to seize dangerous drugs and an arsenal of high-powered firearms from the defendant before they could flood the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The arrest and substantial seizures in this case are but one example of the outstanding work being done by the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office, the DEA, Chicago Police Department, and Cook County Sheriff’s Office every day to combat drug trafficking and reduce violent crime. Let this case serve as a warning to criminal drug traffickers: There is no hiding place for those who flood our communities with illegal narcotics.”

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.