NYC DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION OFFICER INDICTED FOR TAKING BRIBES TO SMUGGLE CONTRABAND

 

Defendant Allegedly Brought Documents Purportedly Laced with Narcotics to Inmate in Rikers Island

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata announced that a NYC Department of Correction Officer has been indicted for allegedly accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for delivering documents that he believed were soaked with narcotics to an inmate. 

District Attorney Clark said, “Documents soaked in dangerous narcotics such as K2 and fentanyl threaten the safety of inmates and staff. This defendant allegedly received money to bring in papers treated with drugs, ignoring the hazard of such contraband, and putting lives at risk.” 

Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata said, “Correction Officers take an oath to uphold the law and have a responsibility to safeguard people in their care. Instead, as charged, this defendant betrayed that oath by allegedly accepting thousands of dollars in bribes to smuggle contraband, specifically papers purported to be soaked in narcotics, into Rikers Island facilities, endangering both persons in custody and his fellow officers. I thank the Bronx District Attorney's Office for its continued partnership and commitment to ensuring safety in the City's jails." 

District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Eric Rivera, 54, was arraigned on May 20, 2026, on second-degree Bribe Receiving, third-degree Bribe Receiving, Official Misconduct and second-degree Promoting Prison Contraband before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Jay Young Kim. He is due back in court on July 22, 2026.

According to the investigation, on two occasions between June 1, 2025, and September 15, 2025, Rivera accepted bribes in excess of $5,000 in exchange for bringing documents purported to be soaked in narcotics onto Rikers Island which he subsequently gave to an inmate.

District Attorney Clark thanked NYPD Detectives Sandy Nunez, Daniel Angen, and Jennifer Cordero from the Bronx District Attorney’s Squad, under the supervision of Sergeant Louis Meade, for their work in the investigation.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt. 

War on Potholes: Governor Hochul Announces State DOT Has Filled More Than 250,000 Potholes During April, Beating Initial Goal by 75,000

At Governor’s Direction, State DOT Took Unprecedented Steps To Fill Potholes and Pave State Highways

State DOT Crews Embarked on Most Ambitious Paving Program in New York’s History Throughout the Month of April

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) was out in force throughout the month of April, patching potholes and laying new asphalt to rejuvenate state roads across New York. This unprecedented push resulted in more than 250,000 potholes filled, smashing the goal of 175,000 announced by the Governor in early April.

“Smoother roads improve the quality of life for millions of New Yorkers, and with a long winter now firmly in the rearview mirror, DOT crews have been addressing the scourge of potholes on our state highway system with an unprecedented intensity,” Governor Hochul said.“Paving projects are underway in every region of the state and state crews will be out in force rejuvenating one of the largest state highway systems in the entire nation. Whether we are filling potholes or repaving roads, make no mistake: if you are a pothole, your days are numbered.”

Following one of the coldest winters in recent memory, the Governor announced last month that NYSDOT crews would be rolling out across the state to address the pervasive potholes that were left behind when the snow and ice melted. More than 215 NYSDOT crews were deployed in an unprecedented effort to repair potholes and upgrade roadways. Combined with repaving, these crews laid more than 120,000 tons of asphalt on state roadways during the month of April.

This unprecedented pothole repair campaign was supported by historic levels of public engagement. New Yorkers helped pinpoint where crews should be deployed by reaching out directly to NYSDOT. From January 1 through April 15, calls to the state’s pothole hotline, 1-800-POTHOLE, more than doubled from 2,263 in 2025 to 5,322 in 2026.

Last October, the Governor announced record state investment to dozens of vital state roadways across New York State during the 2026 construction season. Funded by its five-year Capital Plan, NYSDOT will invest more than $600 million in more than 180 paving projects across the state. These projects, which total almost 2,150 lane miles, are in addition to the paving initiatives already scheduled as part of NYSDOT’s core programs and, taken together, represent the most ambitious annual road resurfacing program conducted in state history, totaling more than 4,000 lane miles of renewed pavement to give New York drivers a smoother, safer ride.

Members of Transnational Money Laundering Organization Charged with Laundering Cartel Funds

 

An indictment returned in the Eastern District of Virginia was unsealed charging Ruhuan Zhen and Hongce Wu, both Chinese nationals, with conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with transnational criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).

According to court documents, beginning in at least November 2016 and continuing to April 2025, Zhen, Wu, and their co-conspirators are alleged to have used a variety of secretive and clandestine methods, including mirror transfers, foreign bank accounts, encrypted communications applications, a serial-number verification system, and trade-based money laundering, to launder substantial volumes of narcotics proceeds and funds represented to be narcotics proceeds on behalf of transnational criminal organizations. The conspiracy is alleged to span the course of years with co-conspirators operating across the United States, Mexico, Latin America, China, and elsewhere, and involve drug proceeds stemming from the importation and sale of illicit narcotics, including cocaine and fentanyl.

Zhen and Wu were indicted on April 24, 2025, by a federal grand jury empaneled in Alexandria, Virginia, and remain at large.

If convicted of the offense, Zhen and Wu each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Cindy Marx of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division made the announcement.

The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case, with assistance from DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit, and DEA’s offices in Memphis Resident Office (RO), Lexington RO, Chicago Field Division (FD), New York FD, Washington FD, Charleston RO, Atlanta FD, Charlotte District Office, Bogota Country Office (CO), and Dubai CO.

Trial Attorney Chelsea R. Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. MNF Trial Attorney Caylee E. Campbell provided substantial assistance throughout the investigation. 

MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.

MNF’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Mayor Mamdani Releases Executive Order 13 Report of Audit Findings and Recommendations

Agencies will strengthen protections for immigrant New Yorkers and update protocols governing interactions with federal immigration agents    

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani released the Executive Order 13 Report of Audit Findings and Recommendations. In February, Mayor Mamdani signed Executive Order 13 to mandate a citywide audit of policies and protocols governing interactions between City agencies and federal immigration authorities. In the coming months, the City will implement recommendations from the audit to strengthen protections for immigrant New Yorkers. 

“New York City is home to immigrants from every corner of the world, and no one should live in fear because of their status,” said Mayor Mamdani. “This audit was a critical step towards strengthening compliance with our local laws and reinforcing New York City’s protections for immigrant communities. I am proud to share key findings and recommendations from the audit that will ensure that we are responding to the changing nature of federal immigration enforcement and protecting the rights of all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status.”

"Safeguarding the safety, rights, and dignity of immigrant New Yorkers, especially against abusive immigration enforcement practices, is paramount," said Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Faiza N. Ali. "Executive Order 13 reflects Mayor Mamdani's commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, and protections for our immigrant communities. The findings and recommendations released today will strengthen City agencies' protocols when interacting with federal authorities and ensure that all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, can safely access the City services they deserve. I look forward to working with our government partners and all stakeholders to implement the changes identified in this audit and bolster our City's support for immigrant New Yorkers."

This report includes key findings and adopted recommendations from the audit submitted to the Mayor by the Administration of Children’s Services (ACS), Department of Correction (DOC), Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Department of Probation (DOP), Department of Social Services (DSS), New York City Police Department (NYPD) and New York City Health + Hospitals (H+H). New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) also initiated an internal review of its policies and protocols independent of the formal audit process.

Among other findings, the multiagency audit revealed that federal immigration authorities have intensified their targeting of City shelters, sharply increased the issuance of detainer requests to DOC and the NYPD, and employed increasingly aggressive and misleading tactics.

The audit found that local laws and agency protocols have largely worked as intended to protect the rights of all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status. At the same time, the audit identified areas where City policies and protocols must be strengthened to respond to the changing landscape of federal immigration enforcement.

Examples of agency-specific recommendations adopted by the Mayor include the following:   

1. ACS will strengthen its practice of reviewing determinations for seeking orders of protection, if the safety of the children and/or caregiver can be met otherwise, when there are potential negative immigration consequences for the parent. 
2. DSS will revise protocols and training on access to City property and lots, drawing from lessons learned through the audit of incidents of unauthorized ICE entry in 2025. 
3. NYPD will establish a protocol requiring that the Communications Division notify Operations of any 911 calls related to the presence of federal immigration authorities or immigration matters. Operations will notify Department leadership and a Legal Bureau executive. A patrol executive will be sent to the scene. NYPD will also track these requests. 
4. H+H will develop materials, policy, and/or guidance that addresses protocols for when ICE brings an individual to H+H facilities for medical care. 

The Interagency Response Committee, chaired by the First Deputy Mayor, in consultation with the Chief Counsel to the Mayor and City Hall, the Special Advisor for Strategic Coordination and Operations to the First Deputy Mayor and the Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, with support from the Corporation Counsel and the Law Department, will issue updated citywide guidance and work closely with agencies to implement these policy and protocol changes.

The full report on the audit’s findings and recommendations is available here.  

Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Coast Guard Seize $6.4 Million in Narcotics from Crude Oil Tanker in Port of Los Angeles

A joint boarding operation led to the discovery of 500 pounds of cocaine 

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Coast Guard, and other federal agency partners conducted an operation that seized narcotics from a crude oil tanker in Los Angeles. 

On May 21, HSI Los Angeles, along with the Coast Guard, conducted a joint boarding operation on the Motor Tanker Aquatravesia, a crude oil tanker, in the Port of Los Angeles. A Coast Guard narcotics detection canine alerted the boarding team to suspected contraband, and the team positively identified 500 pounds of cocaine, worth approximately $6.4 million.

“This operation highlights Homeland Security Investigations’ unwavering commitment to combating transnational crime and safeguarding the United States from illicit narcotics,” said Eddy Wang, HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge. “HSI’s swift response and investigative expertise were instrumental in identifying and seizing over 226 kilograms of cocaine destined for our communities. We remain dedicated to pursuing those who attempt to exploit our ports and transportation systems, and to working with our partners to disrupt criminal organizations that threaten public safety.”

“The success of this narcotics seizure is a testament to the coordinated efforts of the DHS enterprise to dismantle the efforts of drug smugglers under our respective authorities and responsibilities,” said Captain Stacey Crecy, Sector Commander at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. “Through stellar coordination, we effectively detained the suspect and removed the contraband from the vessel to protect the maritime transportation system and facilitate commerce as quickly as possible.”

HSI arrested one individual, and two others were taken into custody.

This seizure continues record-setting HSI and Coast Guard operations to interdict, seize, and disrupt transshipment of cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs by land and by sea. This includes HSI’s seizure of over 917,000 pounds of cocaine in 2025, as well as accelerated counter-narcotics operations along the southern border. The Coast Guard has seized over 511,000 pounds of cocaine in 2025 – over three times the Service’s annual average – as well as accelerated counter-narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific through Operation Pacific Viper.

HSI’s and the Coast Guard’s persistent operations and rapid response have denied criminal organizations billions in illicit revenue and prevented the flow of dangerous drugs into American communities.

Jones Beach State Park Drone Show Rescheduled for Monday Evening

 

Due to forecasted inclement weather on Sunday, a planned illuminated drone show at Jones Beach State Park is being rescheduled to Monday evening.

The 20-minute drone light show produced by Grizzly Entertainment will begin at 9 p.m. Monday. The aerial show will feature animation designs consisting of up to 1,000 drones. Animations will include patriotic symbols and imagery to celebrate our nation’s 250^th birthday and honor military personnel. Primary viewing for the show will take place at the park’s Central Mall, where music will be simulcast along the boardwalk for an interactive viewing experience. The show will take place Monday weather permitting.

Additionally, the Revolutionary War Reenactment Village scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24, is being relocated indoors to the Boardwalk Café on the Central Mall. The program featuring an array of historical re-enactors will go on as scheduled from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The village was initially planned for Parking Field 3 and 4.

Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

 

REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN HEROES ON THIS MEMORIAL DAY

On this Memorial Day, we honor and remember the courageous Americans who gave their lives in service to our country. To all our fallen heroes - your sacrifice and that of your families will not be forgotten.

This week, Senator Rivera alongside Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest introduced a new bill to protect our healthcare facilities and patients from ICE. Everyone has the right to access healthcare and to do so without fear. The Safe Access to Care Act (S.101494/Assembly bill number pending) aims to protect healthcare workers in the performance of their duties and help legally prepare them against unlawful ICE actions.

“Every day, our communities face increasing attacks from the federal government, and it is our duty to work tirelessly to protect our neighbors. This legislation, championed by health care workers, will make sure that healthcare facility staff have the training and legal protections they need to feel safe in their workplaces. Our doctors and nurses must be able to focus on what matters most—the care of their patients—while administrative staff should never fear doing their jobs or safeguarding patients’ private health information. This bill is about defending the law, empowering health care workers, and respecting the rights of all New Yorkers,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera.

This week, Senator Rivera held a Health Committee meeting. All 15 bills on the agenda passed the meeting including his Home Care Savings and Reinvestment Act, which would eliminate private insurance middlemen and reinvest savings directly into home care wages and care. They also moved Senator Rivera's Lead Pipe Replacement Act, which would require the replacement of all lead service lines by November 1, 2037.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS & RESOURCES

Junior high school students RSVP HERE

High school students RSVP HERE

NYC Small Business Month Expo

Thursday, May 28 | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

60 Pine Street, Manhattan

Registration Link

Free resources, consultations, workshops, and networking to help solve the six top challenges NYC small business owners face – all in one place! 

• Fund Your Business 
  
• Grow Your Business 
  
• Find & Retain Talent 
  
• Build Your Customer Base 
  
• Save Time & Money 
  
• Access Legal Services...and more! 
  

Please Help Us Spread the Word

The following materials are available to make it as easy as possible to promote to your networks: 

• Printable flyers (translated in 10 languages)
  
• PowerPoint slide for presentations
  
• Copy for newsletters and standalone emails
  
• SBS social media posts to amplify on the following channels: 
  
• Facebook
  
• Instagram
  
• LinkedIn
  
• Twitter/X
  

Thank you for your partnership, see below for a list of helpful links, and we hope to see your constituents at the Expo on May 28!

• Promotional Toolkit - Contains email templates, social media posts, and flyers in multiple languages
  
• Community Partner Promotional Briefing - today at 3pm!
  
• NYC Small Business Month Info

NYC Public Schools released 3-K offers on May 19, until June 12. Families will be able to access their child’s offer by logging into MySchools.nyc or by calling 718-935-2009 if you did not apply online.

Families will have until Friday, June 12 to accept offer and complete registration with their school.

BEAT THE HEAT! LEARN MORE ABOUT NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT UNIT’S COOLING CENTER PROGRAM

As a reminder, should extreme heat occur, New Yorkers are advised to stay cool and stay hydrated. Avoid spending prolonged periods of time outdoors. Call 911 immediately if you or someone else shows signs of heat-related illness, such as confusion, dizziness, or difficulty breathing. For more preparedness tips, visit: nyc.gov/BeReady or nyc.gov/beattheheat.

New SNAP Work Requirements: What You Need to Know

New federal rules are changing SNAP work requirements for some New Yorkers. Starting this year, certain adults may need to work, attend job training, or volunteer to keep their benefits.

You may be affected if you are:

● Between ages 18–64

● Not living with a child under 14

● Not exempt due to a health condition or other reason



If these rules apply to you, you may need to take action each month to avoid losing your SNAP benefits.



Check your status and learn what to do: on.nyc.gov/snap.

JOIN A NYC PARKS RECREATION CENTER NEAR YOU!

• Hunts Point Recreation Center | 765 Manida St., Bronx, N.Y.
• Kwame Ture Recreation Center | 1527 Jesup Ave., Bronx, N.Y.
• St. James Recreation Center | 2530 Jerome Ave., Bronx, N.Y.
• St. Mary’s Recreation Center (reopening soon) | 450 Saint Ann’s Ave., Bronx, N.Y.
• Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center | 3225 Reservoir Oval E. Bronx, N.Y.

 

To find out more about what our centers offer and membership, pls use the following link - https://www.nycgovparks.org/programs/recreation-centers/membership

GROWNYC IS HIRING! FARMERS MARKET SITE LEADS NEEDED

VAN NEST MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY ON MONDAY, MAY 25, 2026 AT 12:15PM

 

Please join us on Monday, May 25th with the Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance 
and Bronx County American Legion for a Memorial Day Ceremony at Van Nest Memorial Plaza.
The procession starts at 12:15, just south of the White Plains Road/Van Nest Avenue intersection
and ends on the Plaza for the ceremony. 

We will be celebrating 100 years of the Van Nest Monument at its present location on Unionport and White Plains Road.
Special thank you to Cat Gardiner Author for the photo and to her Korean War Veteran Father and her Uncle Billy
who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II.
The Gardiner-Warose family is a foundational part of the Van Nest community.

Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance

www.facebook.com/VanNestNeighborhoodAlliance