It appears to be the largest drug bust in New York State history as Federal DEA agents arrested 2 people who lived in a 5th floor 3 bedroom apartment located at 210 West 251st Street. The building is called the Deauville, and the apartments are still rental apartments. Jose Mercedes and Yenci Cruz were identified as the 2 people arrested by the DEA, who said that 70 Kilos of heroin, $2 Million dollars in cash, and a gun were confiscated from the apartment and 2 vehicles that were used to transport the drugs. The heroin seized was estimated to have a street value of over $50 Million dollars.
Local residents including the owner of a building across the street from the Deauville siad that this has been going on for years, and want to know why this was not stopped long ago. One woman said that the community is going downhill, while one man said that the Deauville is full of Section 8 tenants who do not care about the neighborhood. Another said that loud music comes from the nearby Van Cortlandt Park area at night, while cars park at hydrants and double park while the local police department does nothing when residents call and complain.
