Over 150 Pounds of Crystal Methamphetamine is Seized in Manhattan: Two Men from Southern California Arrested

 

Some drugs concealed inside air compressor canisters

 Two men from Southern California were arrested in Manhattan over the past week in connection with the transportation of large-scale shipments of crystal methamphetamine to New York. Two loads totaling approximately 75 kilograms (165 pounds), with a street value of $1.2 million, were intercepted during a short-term investigation. 

Bridget G. Brennan, New York City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New York Division, and Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced the arrests. The short-term investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Long Island District Office Task Force, which consists of agents and investigators from the DEA, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the Hempstead Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. The Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Investigators Unit assisted in the investigation. 

LUIS ESTRADA and CARLOS SANTOS were arrested on Tuesday, July 5, and Friday, July 8, 2022 respectively. Each man is charged in a criminal complaint filed by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor.

On July 5, 2022, agents and investigators were conducting surveillance outside of a hotel located at 151 Maiden Lane, near the South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan, when they observed ESTRADA wheeling a black suitcase at approximately 9:55 a.m. Agents and officers stopped ESTRADA and found that the suitcase contained over 40 pounds of crystal methamphetamine. Also recovered were two cellphones, $400 cash and a room key to the hotel. 

Three days later, on July 8, 2022, agents and investigators were conducting surveillance near 401 West 219th Street in the Inwood neighborhood of Manhattan when they observed SANTOS in a parking lot near white van cutting open an air compressor canister using power tools. Another air compressor canister was sitting nearby.

Agents and investigators stopped SANTOS and searched both canisters, recovering more than 100 pounds of crystal methamphetamine from inside. Agents and investigators also recovered two plastic bags containing cocaine from SANTOS’s person, as well as two cellphones. 

The investigation revealed that SANTOS had allegedly driven a rented vehicle across the country. Both shipments are believed to have originated in Mexico.

ESTRADA is charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second and Third Degrees. SANTOS is charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second, Third and Seventh Degrees. 

Methamphetamine is a stimulant that speeds up the body’s system and comes as pill or powder. Crystal meth resembles glass fragments and is an altered version of the drug that is cooked with overthe-counter drugs in meth labs. Street names include: Meth, Speed, Ice, Shards, Bikers Coffee, Stove Top, Tweak, Yaba, Trash, Chalk, Crystal, Crank, or Shabu. Methamphetamine is highly addictive and can cause agitation, increased heart rate and blood pressure, increased respiration and body temperature, anxiety, and paranoia. In addition, high doses of methamphetamine can cause convulsions, cardiovascular collapse, stroke or death. More information can be found at www.dea.gov.

ESTRADA and SANTOS were arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday, July 6 and Saturday, July 9, 2022 respectively. Both were released on supervised release. 

Under current New York State law, neither man could be charged with a bail eligible offense. Methamphetamine is categorized as a controlled substance, but not a narcotic drug. Regardless of the amount of methamphetamine involved, and regardless of a defendant’s lack of connections to New York State, under current law judges may not set bail on cases involving the possession of only methamphetamine. 

Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan thanked Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., and commended her office’s Special Investigations Bureau and Investigators Unit, the DEA New York Division and the DEA’s Long Island District Office Task Force, including the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the Hempstead Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. She also thanked the New York City Police Department’s 46th Precinct’s Anti-Crime Team for assisting in the investigation. 

“The influx of crystal methamphetamine into New York City is the latest example of how synthetic drugs produced outside of the country are flooding our streets. We are all too familiar with the rising death toll and other destructive effects of these substances. Users need to be aware that dangerous synthetic drugs have thoroughly saturated the market,” said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan. 

DEA Special Agent in Charge Tarentino said, “Methamphetamine is running rampant throughout the country causing addiction, overdoses, and poisonings. This year, DEA has seen methamphetamine seizures in New York increase 1300% since 2021 indicating New York is a bullseye for traffickers. This seizure is a calculated treachery by Mexican Cartels to flood the United States with their poison and expand their customer base while driving addiction and increasing profit margins. DEA is working hand in hand with our state and local law enforcement partners to investigate and arrest members of the most significant drug trafficking organizations and traffickers to keep our communities safe and healthy. 

“Crystal methamphetamine is a dangerous drug that is growing in popularity on the East Coast,” said DA Anne T. Donnelly. “With this seizure, we’ve removed more than 150 pounds of poison from our communities. I thank our law enforcement partners for working together to break up this drug smuggling ring.

Defendants                           Charges

Carlos Santos                       CPCS 2nd – 1 ct

San Jose, CA                        CPCS 3rd – 1 ct 

Age: 34                                 CPCS 7th – 1 ct

Luis Estrada                          CPCS 2nd – 1 ct

San Diego, CA                       CPCS 3rd – 1 ct

Age: 19

The charges and allegations are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - JULY 11, 2022

 

Governor Encourages New Yorkers to Keep Using the Tools to Protect Against and Treat COVID-19: Vaccines, Boosters, Testing, and Treatment

8 Statewide Deaths Reported On Friday, July 8

 NOTE: Beginning June 24, 2022, the Vaccine data will be updated weekly on Fridays to align with CDC's updated data refresh schedule. For additional information on COVID-19 Vaccination Data provided by CDC, see https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total.   

NOTE: Updates to the CDC's cumulative death data files are being delayed, as the CDC upgrades its system. Any questions about this should be directed to the CDC. During this time, total deaths and new daily deaths reported through HERDS will continue as normal. 

Important Note: HERDS data collection from health care facilities is not currently required on weekends or holidays. The survey will resume today and the facility/death data will be displayed in tomorrow's report. The numbers below with an asterisk were reported on Friday, July 8.  

Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.   

"As we continue monitoring the numbers, I encourage all New Yorkers to continue using the tools that we know protect against and treat COVID-19," Governor Hochul said. "Stay up to date on your vaccine and booster doses. Parents and guardians, now is the time to consult with your child's pediatrician about getting them vaccinated. Remain vigilant and test often if you have symptoms, and if you test positive stay home and talk to you doctor about available treatment options."     

Today's data is summarized briefly below:   

• Cases Per 100k - 23.85
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 30.53 
• Test Results Reported - 44,944   
• Total Positive - 4,661
• Percent Positive - 9.67%**   
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 9.17%**   
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,266 (+13)*
• Patients Newly Admitted - 448*
• Patients in ICU - 235 (+13)* 
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 82 (+3)*
• Total Discharges - 318,481 (+427)*
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 8*
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 56,674* 

** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and several other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.   

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.   

Important Note: Effective Monday, April 4, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is no longer requiring testing facilities that use COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to report negative results. As a result, New York State's percent positive metric will be computed using only lab-reported PCR results. Positive antigen tests will still be reported to New York State and reporting of new daily cases and cases per 100k will continue to include both PCR and antigen tests. Due to this change and other factors, including changes in testing practices, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.   

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 72,218

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.   

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows **:   

Borough	Friday, July 8, 2022	Saturday, July 9, 2022	Sunday, July 10, 2022
Bronx	9.47%	9.77%	9.80%
Kings	9.01%	8.47%	8.51%
New York	8.84%	8.94%	8.85%
Queens	10.89%	11.01%	11.11%
Richmond	9.95%	9.87%	10.00%

U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition Of Brazilian Citizen From Paraguay For Participation In Money Laundering And Unlicensed Money Transmitting Schemes

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that KASSEM HIJAZI, a citizen of Brazil, was extradited to the United States from Paraguay on July 8, 2022. HIJAZI was extradited on charges of money laundering and operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business, for his involvement in a cross-border money laundering operation.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “As alleged, Kassem Hijazi agreed to launder the proceeds of narcotics trafficking, and for years operated an illegal money transmitting business, the proceeds of which were further laundered into and out of the United States.  Thanks to the continued efforts and coordination with our law enforcement counterparts in Paraguay, Hijazi, a Brazilian national, has now been extradited to the U.S. to face the consequences of his crimes.”

HIJAZI was arrested on August 24, 2021, in Paraguay. He was presented and arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory H. Woods.    

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment[1]:

Between 2018 and October 2020, KASSEM HIJAZI orchestrated a money laundering operation and operated an unlicensed money transmission business. Specifically, in December 2019 and between October and December 2020, HIJAZI laundered funds that he believed were proceeds derived from narcotics trafficking. Between 2018 and 2020, HIJAZI operated an unlicensed money transmission business that included sending funds from overseas into and out of the United States, including into the Southern District of New York. HIJAZI, using his illegal money transmission business, further laundered funds related to that business into and out of the United States in support of his crimes.

HIJAZI, 49, is charged with two counts of money laundering, each of which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; two counts of international money laundering, each of which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

U.S. Attorney Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. He also thanked law enforcement partners in Paraguay, particularly the Public Ministry’s Attorney General’s Office and the National Anti-Drug Secretariat. Finally, he thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their support and assistance in the defendant’s extradition.

[1] The charges in the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.