NYC police find 250 pounds of drugs worth $24M in ‘Amazon warehouse’ for drugs

New York authorities found more than 250 pounds of drugs worth around $24 million on Monday when they conducted a house raid in the Bronx. 

An investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force led authorities to an apartment near Walton Avenue in Morris Heights on Monday. 

From within the stash apartment, authorities seized 110 kilograms of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine, 50 pounds of crystal meth, and 75,000 counterfeit pills that might contain fentanyl. 

NYC authorities seize 250 pounds of drugs worth $24M in major bust https://t.co/ucEvvQcjgI pic.twitter.com/fafdmlBKsa

— New York Post (@nypost) June 29, 2022

“This seizure illustrates what we are up against in the Bronx with traffickers bringing vast amounts of poisonous drugs that devastate communities here and in the metropolitan area,” said NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell. 

According to NYC’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan, the apartment served as an “Amazon warehouse” for drugs. 

Upon entering the third-floor apartment, agents encountered Julio Mota Plascencia, who was carrying about 20 kilos of drugs as he attempted to flee. He allegedly ran to the back bedroom and stood on a windowsill.

Plasencia, 39, was charged with trafficking and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance due to the large amount of bags full of drugs found throughout the apartment. 

Police found in one duffel bag near the entrance, 50,000 to 70,000 counterfeit pills stamped with the name “M-30,” which refers to a commonly abused form of oxycodone.

One closet had two bags with 30 to 40 kilos of drugs and three Ziplock bags of heroin, two of which read “Cartel” and “Goma.” The closet also contained four boxes of rifle ammunition. In the living room, police found a cooler with 26 kilos of cocaine and another duffel bag with crystal meth.

From one bedroom, police retrieved about three kilos of cocaine. The kitchen counter was found with two kilos of cocaine that seemed ready to be packaged. 

“Data doesn’t lie, New York is under siege by criminal drug networks flooding our city streets with fentanyl, killing people at record rates,” said DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino.

“This significant seizure proves that today’s traffickers have all the ingredients to make toxic cocktails for retail sales, deliberately blinding the users of what they are really getting.”