NEW YORK – Authorities dismantled two drug trafficking networks in New York that led to the arrest of 78 people and the seizure of different types of drugs, such as cocaine, valued on the streets at about $ 2 million, the prosecutor announced Wednesday state general, Letitia James.
The arrested people were charged with 355 crimes for their roles in these two major drug distribution networks that were headquartered in downtown New York and transported cocaine across the state, the prosecutor said.
As revealed in Onondaga County Court, the two-year investigation resulted in the seizure of 32 kilograms of cocaine, 117 grams of heroin laced with fentanyl, more than $ 490,000, and 15 firearms, including nine ghost weapons.
We busted two major drug trafficking rings that have been flooding Central New York with dangerous narcotics.
This region has faced record levels of violence, and we’re making good on our commitment to protect our communities and hold those who endanger them accountable. pic.twitter.com/3MQ8NN3FNL
– NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) July 7, 2021
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“Cracking down on illegal drug trafficking and violent crime has been a priority for our office from day one,” said Attorney General James. “As Syracuse continues to experience record levels of violence, today we fulfill our commitment to protect our communities by removing these dangerous weapons and drugs from our streets. We will hold those responsible for endangering our communities accountable. I thank our law enforcement partners for their support in getting this done. “
The arrests were the result of a joint investigation between the Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Oneida / Madison County Drug Task Force.
The multi-agency investigation, dubbed “Operation Commodities,” brought together the resources of more than a dozen federal, state and local enforcement agencies. The investigation included covert physical surveillance, thousands of hours of electronic surveillance and multiple search warrants, all aimed at eradicating cocaine traffickers operating in New York and elsewhere, the prosecutor said.
Accusation number one
The first accusation describes the activity of the “Pupello Group“, which was allegedly headed by Michael Pupello, and indicts 25 people on 123 counts for their involvement in the sale of narcotics in Onondaga, Madison and Oswego counties. Pupello allegedly employed a network of people who mainly bought and sold cocaine in the region and obtained most of the drugs from allegedly Gregory Procopio, Eduardo Huertas, Jr., and Clinton Jackson.During the course of the wiretaps, the Attorney General’s Office discovered that Jackson was also reportedly the source of a separate drug ring in the region, which is described in the second indictment. The defendants frequently used coded and cryptic terminology in an attempt to disguise their illicit activities, such as referring to ounces of cocaine as “onions” or “zippers” and narcotics transactions of 3.5 grams as “balls.” In addition to cocaine, this research also resulted in the recovery of MDMA, morphine, and other controlled substances from Nothing to the distribution, digital scales to weigh narcotics and a machete.
Accusation number two
The second accusation describes the activity of the “Flores Group“, which was allegedly directed by Héctor Flores, alias” Pito “and indicts 50 people with 226 counts for their participation in the sale of narcotics in Onondaga, Oswego, Oneida, Cortland and the counties of Westchester, New York and the Bronx. Flores, who is being charged with operating as a large trafficker, which carries a mandatory life sentence in state prison, was allegedly a supplier of narcotics to numerous suspected Onondaga County drug traffickers, including Clinton Jackson, Christian Acevedo and Brian. Fore. In communications intercepted during this investigation, Flores allegedly coordinated the shipments of nearly a dozen kilograms of cocaine by mail from Puerto Rico to addresses in Onondaga County, which were later intercepted by the United States Postal Service (USPS) .
The investigation also revealed the challenges drug traffickers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, including finding secret meeting places to conduct their transactions, as their common places, such as parking lots or shopping centers, were closed. In addition, traffickers often discussed a significant shortage of cocaine supply and complained about the high price from suppliers due to the “drought”, which resulted in the price of cocaine costing up to 40 percent more than typical prices. from the illegal market. Flores and his network sought to use the USPS to circumvent pandemic restrictions and bring cheaper cocaine from Puerto Rico to their networks in central New York.
Accusation number three
The third indictment consists of two defendants: Robert Miguel López and Michael Elias Ventura-Montano. Lopez, of Florida, allegedly orchestrated the delivery of three kilograms of cocaine from Florida to New York City. Ventura-Montano then allegedly brought the drugs from New York City to Syracuse, where he was intercepted by investigators. Investigators recovered the three kilograms of cocaine and $ 31,000 in cash from a custom hatch in the car’s center console.
Indictment number four
The fourth indictment is made up of Jesús Manuel Ruiz López, from Puerto Rico, and Carlos Guzmán, from Rochester. López is accused of coordinating the delivery of several kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Rochester, which Guzmán then allegedly transported to Onondaga County. Investigators seized three kilograms of cocaine, $ 36,000 in cash, and a .40-caliber Sig Sauer pistol allegedly loaded from Guzmán.
The four separate indictments contain 355 counts and charge 78 people with crimes in connection with their involvement in the narcotics trafficking operation. Among them, operating as a major trafficker, criminal sale and criminal possession of a controlled entity and conspiracy to commit those crimes.
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