Feds Seize More Than 1 Ton Of Cocaine; Largest Shipment Bound For Northeast Intercepted In More Than A Decade
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Federal agents say they've seized more than a ton of cocaine that was headed for the Northeast.
It's the largest seizure of its kind in more than a decade.
Authorities say that roughly 920 kilos of the drug were seized.
Web Extra: Read the indictment (.pdf)
"A multi-million dollar storm of cocaine was seized before it could wreak havoc in the Northeast. Over one ton of cocaine was seized, making it the largest cocaine seizure destined for the streets of New York in over a decade. This seizure signifies a shift in the illegal drug landscape in New York with cocaine seizures rising more than 150% in the last year. DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to guard against drug trafficking organizations' tactics and techniques to smuggle drugs into our country," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan.
Jorge Aponte-Guzman, 33, Nelson Agramonte-Minaya, 37, and Carlos Maisonet-Lopez, 32, face drug trafficking charges. They face 10 years to life in prison.
According to authorities, on Sept. 29, Aponte-Guzman took a rental van loaded with the drug from a loading dock in New Jersey to a residential area, where he was met by Maisonet-Lopez and Agramonte-Minaya. Feds say they found 460 kilos of the drug packed into metal lawn rollers shipped from Puerto Rico.
A similar shipment was seized the next day from the same loading dock.
