Mayor Mamdani: The World Cup Belonged to New Yorkers

 

From $50 tickets and free watch parties to safer streets and stronger small businesses, the Mamdani administration made the world’s game accessible to working people — and left behind improvements that will outlast the final whistle

With seven World Cup matches down and the Final still to come, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today reflected on a tournament that welcomed more than 1 million visitors to the New York-New Jersey region while proving something larger: the world’s biggest sporting event can belong to working people.

“We said from the beginning that the World Cup belongs to New Yorkers. This summer, we proved it,” said Mayor Mamdani. “In the most international city on earth, you didn’t need thousands of dollars to be part of the world’s game. A kid in Corona, a nurse in Bay Ridge and a small business owner in Little Haiti could all celebrate together — for free or at a price they could afford. That’s what we mean when we talk about a city for the many. This summer, strangers became neighbors on Open Streets and in free Fan Fests across the city because government made room for people to come together. And long after the confetti is swept away, New Yorkers will keep what we built: safer streets, faster buses, stronger protections, closer neighbors and the memory of a summer when the whole world felt at home here.”

A World Cup Every New Yorker Could Afford

The Mamdani administration made affordability the organizing principle of New York City’s World Cup celebration, ensuring that New Yorkers didn’t need an expensive ticket to be part of the world’s biggest sporting event.  

• Secured 1,000 affordable World Cup tickets at $50 per seat for New Yorkers, including free round-trip bus transportation to NYNJ Stadium. 
• Opened free Official NYNJ Fan Events in all five boroughs, including the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Rockefeller Center, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Bronx Terminal Market and SIUH Community Park. 
• Announced a free watch party for tens of thousands of people on Central Park's Great Lawn in partnership with Governor Kathy Hochul, FIFA, the NYNJ Host Committee and Global Citizen. 
• Partnered with Governor Hochul to provide affordable shuttle bus service between New York City and NYNJ Stadium throughout the tournament. 
• Launched “Soccer Streets,” transforming 50 blocks citywide into free soccer pitches, block parties and community celebrations.  
• Supported more than 100 free public watch parties in plazas, parks and Open Streets in partnership with City agencies, cultural institutions and community organizations. 
• Distributed a free World Cup activity guide designed by Rich Tu, redeemable for free admission to the Whitney Museum through July 31. 
• Launched the “Dressing the City” campaign in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and NYC Tourism + Conventions, bringing original World Cup artwork to NYC Ferries, bus shelters, subway stations, LinkNYC kiosks, taxi tops and streets across all five boroughs. 
• Streamed marquee matches on 200 LinkNYC kiosks citywide in partnership with Telemundo, bringing free Spanish-language World Cup coverage directly to New Yorkers on city streets. 
• Extended field lighting at 50 locations, adding 4,000 hours of evening play and expanded NYC Open Play with free, late-night soccer in every borough. 
• Opened FIFA Arena, a free mini-pitch in Central Park operated by Street Soccer USA, featuring youth clinics, community tournaments and open play. 
• Hosted Department of Social Services-run watch parties across the shelter system, including events featuring former French national team star Robert Pires.  
• Released a World Cup promotional video featuring U.S. Men’s National Team star Tim Weah and Bronx-born Palestinian soccer pioneer Morad Fareed and a special soccer edition of “NYC Field Guide,” highlighting neighborhood soccer culture. 
• Brought World Cup viewing to Rikers Island, hosting roughly 90 watch parties for the tournament's duration and drawing participation from about 4,500 of the jail's 6,600 inmates as a reward for good behavior, with Mayor Mamdani stopping by Wednesday's England-Argentina semifinal viewing.
• Produced neighborhood mini-documentaries through the Department of Cultural Affairs’ Public Residence program, highlighting how immigrant and working-class New Yorkers experienced the tournament. 
• Published a free online calendar and interactive map connecting residents and visitors to free and low-cost events across the city at nyctourism.com/worldcup26. 

Small Businesses Shared in the Win

More than 1 million visitors came to the New York-New Jersey region during the tournament. The Mamdani administration worked to ensure those visitors spent their dollars in neighborhoods across all five boroughs. 

• Launched the “Five Borough Winners Special,” bringing $26 meal and drink specials and commemorative cups to more than 900 restaurants and bars.
• Promoted the “Welcome World Rewards” program with the NYNJ Host Committee, allowing fans to earn points and prizes — including World Cup Final tickets — by shopping at participating small businesses. 
• Developed the World Cup Business Toolkit, reaching more than 56,000 New Yorkers with resources and targeted outreach in commercial corridors, including Jackson Heights, Little Haiti, Koreatown and the South Bronx. 
• Sold Mazzi Sports $50 NYC World Cup jerseys exclusively at the CityStore, offering New Yorkers an affordable alternative to official jerseys retailing for $375. After selling out due to overwhelming demand, jerseys were restocked. 

Workers and Immigrants Were Protected — Not Left Behind

As New York City welcomed millions of visitors from around the world, the Mamdani administration made clear that immigrants and workers would be protected, not exploited. 

• Notified more than 77,000 licensed businesses of their legal obligations to workers through the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) and reached more than 20,000 New Yorkers through weekly “Worker Rights Day of Action” events.  
• Launched targeted enforcement efforts, including a new initiative requiring City inspectors to verify that businesses prominently displayed worker rights notices. Those inspections were paired with a citywide public education campaign and multilingual public service announcements on consumer and worker protections. 
• Protected the city’s iconic yellow taxi industry by cracking down on illegal operators and establishing branded taxi queues at key World Cup venues, making it easier for visitors to choose licensed drivers.
• Launched a sweeping "Know Your Rights" blitz to protect workers and immigrants. The Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) distributed a new bilingual "Referee Kit" – modeled on soccer's yellow and red card system and available in more than 10 languages – connecting immigrants with legal services, labor protections and domestic and gender-based violence resources while providing information on constitutional rights during interactions with federal immigration authorities.

The City Stayed Safe and Kept Moving

Hosting the world’s largest sporting event required unprecedented coordination across every level of government. Throughout the tournament, the Mamdani administration kept New Yorkers and visitors moving safely while ensuring the city remained open for millions of New Yorkers. 

• Coordinated a comprehensive citywide preparedness operation across all eight local match days alongside Governor Hochul, the MTA and regional partners. 
• Launched a Midtown transportation plan, featuring dedicated bus and shuttle corridors that reduced congestion and helped move hundreds of thousands of people efficiently on match days. People traveled from bus staging areas to the Lincoln Tunnel in less than a total of 10 minutes, consistently outpacing general traffic on the same corridors. Midtown travel times ran up to 23 percent faster than historical averages across all eight match days, even as more than 1 million visitors came through the region. 
• Nearly 50% of stadium attendees across the first three games — rising for later matches — got to and from MetLife Stadium via NJ Transit or official FIFA shuttles rather than driving. 
• Transformed the subway into a rolling celebration of the tournament, wrapping trains on the 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, A, E, F and R lines in the colors of competing nations through a partnership with the NYNJ Host Committee and the MTA. 
• Delivered the most NYC Ferry service in city history to keep commuters, riders and visitors moving on high-demand routes, including five custom-wrapped vessels celebrating each borough through World Cup-inspired artwork. 
• Activated the Emergency Operations Center and Joint Information Center to coordinate operations across agencies and provide clear, accurate and multilingual information throughout the tournament. Notify NYC alerts kept residents and visitors informed in real time, while NYC Health + Hospitals facilities stood ready to support public health needs. 

A Legacy That Lasts Beyond the Final Whistle

The Mamdani administration utilized the World Cup as an opportunity to build a better city. Investments made for the tournament will continue serving New Yorkers long after the final match, including:  

• A new center-running bus lane on Broadway in Queens, improving transit access to LaGuardia Airport. 
• A transformational redesign of Ninth Avenue expanding pedestrian space, strengthening cycling infrastructure and creating new bus-priority lanes. 
• Bike and pedestrian upgrades from SoHo and the East Village to Union Square, creating a safer north-south corridor from the Brooklyn Bridge to Astor Place. 
• A dedicated bike and pedestrian connection to the Brooklyn Bridge along Centre Street. 
• A doubled-width protected bike lane on Sixth Avenue with expanded pedestrian space. 
• Permanent equipment upgrades at borough venues, including infrastructure installed for Fan Fest programming, such as the new large screen at SIUH Community Park 
• A citywide mural project to celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup, leaving a lasting legacy in New York City’s neighborhoods. 

VCJC News & Notes 7/17/2026

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

Things to see below

The survey of your preferences for our events - please fill in (#3)

The links to our new social media accounts - please follow us (#6)

Our request for a Google review (#7)

Reminders

1. Shabbos schedule
   
   
   Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar.
   Here are the times you need:  
   Shabbos Candles Friday 7/17/26 @ 8:06 pm
   Shabbos/Shavuos Ends Saturday 7/18/26 @ 9:09 pm

   If you require an aliyah or would like to lead services, read from the torah or haftorah please speak to one of the gabbaim.

   
   

   Come join us for services and stay to enjoy the kiddush and the company.
   

2. Tisha B’Av

   Fast:
   Erev Tisha B’Av July 22nd fast begins 8:20PM and
   ends Thursday July 23rd 9:05PM
   Services:
   July 22, 8:50PM, at KCI, 3220 Arlington Ave
   July 23, 8:30AM, at KCI, 3220 Arlington Ave.
   Check with the office to confirm the times.

   
   

3. What works for you?
   Please Help Us Plan for Events
   We have created a survey, Van Cortlandt Jewish Center Community Event Planning Survey, to help us set the direction for our activities.  We’d really appreciate your taking a few minutes to fill it in. Here’s the link: SURVEY
   
   

4. The VCJC Chavurah
   The VCJC Chavurah meets every Tuesday Night at 7:30PM.  All are welcome to join us as we continue to learn together.

   No cost to attend and no prior experience is needed.

   If you are interested in learning torah with a group of fellow members of your community, but want more details, contact the VCJC office at 718-884-6105 or info@vcjewishcenter.org, or speak to Stuart Harris or Matthew Hartstein after davening on Shabbat morning.
   Note that the Chavurah for the week of July 13 will meet on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.
   
   

5. Shabbos parsha

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   Parashat Devarim 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת דְּבָרִים

   18 July 2026 / 4 Av 5786

   Parashat Devarim is the 44th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.

   Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22

   Devarim (“Words”) is the first Torah portion in the Book of Deuteronomy, the final book of the Torah. In it, Moses recounts events from the Israelites’ travels in the desert, like the appointment of judges, the sin of the spies, and the wars with the Emorite kings Sihon and Og. [1]

   
   

6. VCJC is now active on social media - follow us!
   We have launched both a Facebook page and an Instagram page.  Both have a nice amount of content already and we are planning both regular posts and a greater variety going forward.  Please take a look and follow us!

   
   

   
   

7. You can do it! Give VCJC a boost!  Leave a (positive) review for us on Google
   -->You can do this!  We know you can! YES, YOU!

   The VCJC is working to build and grow for its next century in Van Cortlandt Village.  If you have had a good experience with us or recognize our value to the community, please consider telling the world about it.  Go to our Google Business Profile and leave a review.  Thanks!  

Please help with information about buildings

As part of rebuilding the membership and congregation, the Board of Trustees would like your help. There are a lot of either new or renovated buildings being put up in our catchment area. We would like to seek the cooperation of the owners / developers of those properties in publicizing these opportunities to live near an orthodox synagogue.  If you are aware of any of these buildings, please provide what information you can about them.  This could include the address, any contact information that might be posted, and any information about the building itself (size, type, etc.). Additionally, if you are aware of vacancies in existing buildings or of houses for sale, please let us know about that as well.

Our mailing address is:
Van Cortlandt Jewish Center
3880 Sedgwick Ave
Bronx, NY 10463

HSTF: Two Sentenced in Connection with Drug Trafficking in Seattle’s International District and Homeless Encampments along I-5

 

Mid-level Dealers Selling Pounds of Narcotics While Armed with High-Powered Guns

Two Seattle-area men were sentenced in U.S. District Court in Seattle for drug and gun crimes related to Seattle’s International District and the homeless encampment on I-5 called “The Jungle.” Isai Gamboa Pacheco, 56, of Everett, Washington was sentenced to six years in prison and Sang Tran, 55, of Kent, Washington, was sentenced to 66 months in prison. At Pacheco’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “Despite a previous conviction for the same offence, you came back to this country and did it again… but on a much larger scale…. You were a source of a significant amount of cocaine to members of this community. Cocaine is one of the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. What you did contributed to that suffering.”

“Both these defendants had one job and one job only – selling large amounts of meth and cocaine for distribution in the areas of our community plagued by crime and unhoused, vulnerable people dealing with addiction,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Tran had prior arrests and Gamboa Pacheco had a prior conviction and removal from the U.S. Still their greed kept them selling these poisons and carrying high-powered firearms to protect their drug trade.”

“These defendants fueled addiction and violence by trafficking large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine while arming themselves with high-powered firearms,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Every drug trafficking organization dismantled, and every pound of poison seized makes our communities safer. DEA and our law enforcement partners are relentlessly disrupting the criminal networks, holding drug traffickers accountable, and working to build a Fentanyl Free America.”

“Mr. Pacheco and Mr. Tran sought to profit from the addictions and suffering of others by redistributing huge quantities of dangerous drugs, and both were found in possession of even more drugs, along with firearms, during searches of their residences," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "The FBI and our partners will continue to hold accountable the members of this conspiracy and others like them as we combat drug trafficking and violent crime in Seattle and throughout the state of Washington.”

According to records filed in the case, the investigation began in November 2023, with the Seattle Police, FBI, and DEA focusing on drug trafficking organizations dealing fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the homeless encampments of Seattle and in drug trafficking areas of the International District at locations such as 12th and Jackson. Tran was in the first group of defendants arrested in January 2025. During the first arrest operation law enforcement seized 17 firearms and 23 kilos of a suspected narcotic powder.

Tran had been heard on the wiretap arranging to purchase a pound of methamphetamine and redistribute it to another individual. When law enforcement searched his home, they found about 330 gross grams of cocaine, a loaded Tauris 12 shotgun, ammunition, and proceeds of his drug trafficking activities in the form of United States currency, jewelry, and Rolex watches. In his garage, investigators found two more rifles. Tran admitted he kept the guns to protect his drugs and drug proceeds. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering for his efforts to hide drug proceeds by laundering tens of thousands of dollars through a nail salon.

The second defendant sentenced yesterday, Isai Gamboa Pacheco was arrested in the second takedown involving this drug trafficking conspiracy. Following the January takedown, law enforcement continued the investigation into drug traffickers who were distributing in Washington state. This organization made frequent trips into Oregon and California. In March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin. The street value of the narcotics was nearly $3 million.

On May 29, 2025, law enforcement executed 16 search warrants in Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, Seattle, Woodlake, California and Beaverton, Oregon.  Investigators seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, and 17 firearms. They also seized more than $353,000 in cash

Gamboa Pacheco was picked up on the wiretap making kilogram quantity deals of cocaine. When investigators served a search warrant at Gamboa Pacheco’s residence, they recovered more than $16,000 in drug proceeds. Investigators searched two of Gamboa Pacheco’s vehicles and found further evidence of Gamboa Pacheco’s crimes. Inside a Honda, investigators found almost three kilograms of methamphetamine and an unloaded Colt AR15 rifle with a drum magazine.

Gamboa Pacheco pleaded guilty in March 2026 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and being an alien in possession of a firearm.

In asking for a 90-month prison sentence, prosecutors noted this is Gamboa Pacheco’s second drug trafficking conviction. “Even after being caught previously and after receiving a considerable prison sentence, he voluntarily re-engaged in drug trafficking activities solely for his personal profit. Moreover, while engaging in his drug trafficking activities, he obtained a firearm knowing he could not legally possess it.” Gamboa Pacheco has no legal status in the U.S. and was previously removed to Mexico.

This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. 

The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program. Investigators also worked with the Oregon State Police and Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office.

Seized Colt AR15 rifle with drum magazine

Seized loaded Tauris 12 shotgun

Former Census Bureau Program Manager Sentenced to Prison for Bribery and Procurement Fraud Conspiracy

 

A former supervisory official with the U.S. Census Bureau was sentenced to two years in prison followed by a year of supervised release for conspiring with a subcontractor to receive $790,000 in kickbacks. She was also ordered to forfeit the proceeds of the scheme.

On April 2, Camille T. Jones, 47, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging her with conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services fraud in connection with a procurement fraud scheme.

According to court documents, as part of her guilty plea, Camille Jones admitted that she steered a large employee assistant program contract to a prime contractor and a subcontracting company, YMJ Consulting, which is owned by Camille Jones’s relative, Yolanda M. Jones.  The contract was worth millions of dollars. In exchange for steering the contract and modifications, Jones received kickbacks from YMJ Consulting and Yolanda Jones.

Additionally, Camille Jones attempted to obstruct the investigation by drafting a service agreement between YMJ Consulting and a mental health company that she owned to make the kickbacks appear like legitimate consulting payments between the two companies. Both Camille Jones and Yolanda Jones signed the agreement in 2024 but backdated it to 2020. Yolanda Jones then provided the document to law enforcement during the investigation.

Camille Jones further admitted that she used her official position to share the Census Bureau’s confidential procurement information with another government contractor. While receiving preferential treatment, the contractor hired another one of Camille Jones’s relatives for a minimal-work job. Camille Jones largely performed the work but the relative received $83,000.

On Aug. 14, 2025, Yolanda Jones pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services fraud. She is awaiting sentencing. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland; and Eric Maddox, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations of U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Inspector General, made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of the Inspector General. 

Trump Administration Delivers 14 Straight Months of Zero Releases at the Border

 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced 14 consecutive months of zero releases at the border, continuing the unprecedented trend of historically low border crossings.

“Another month of historically low illegal border crossings demonstrates the success of President Trump’s border security policies,” said DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Thanks to President Trump's leadership, we went from the worst border crisis in history to 14 straight months of ZERO releases at the border. Our border is CLOSED to lawbreakers."

The sustained decline in illegal border crossings and apprehensions—now at levels not seen in over three decades—shows the profound impact of robust enforcement policies. With daily apprehensions down 94% from the previous administration, the border remains more secure than at any point in history.

“As I have said many times, leadership and policy matter. When laws are enforced, fewer people will break the law. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Mullin, CBP is fully enforcing our immigration and border security laws. CBP has established meaningful border security resulting in sustained deterrence of illegal crossings. I am proud to report yet another decline in illegal border crossings this month,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott. “CBP is preventing dangerous criminal aliens and illicit narcotics from entering our communities, enhancing the safety of every American for generations to come.”

Below is a snapshot of June’s key figures. Full monthly reporting can be viewed on CBP’s Stats and Summaries webpage.

Border Enforcement at Historic Levels

Illegal crossings in June remained historically low:

• CBP’s encounters decreased in June: Nationwide, CBP’s encounters in June (31,626) were 4% lower than May. The U.S. Border Patrol’s nationwide apprehensions (11,396) were also 4% lower than last month.
• Southwest border apprehensions 94% lower than under Biden: The U.S. Border Patrol’s apprehensions along the southwest border in June (9,848) were 94% lower than the monthly average of the Biden administration, 96% below its peak (December 2023), and less than what was apprehended in 4 days in June 2024.
• Fiscal year to date apprehensions historically low: Border Patrol apprehensions along the southwest border this fiscal year through June are 14% lower than just one month on average from FYs 1992 through 2024.

Drug Interdictions That Save Lives

CBP remains on the frontline against drug smuggling, seizing dangerous narcotics before they reach American communities.

• June seizures 49% higher than under Biden: Nationwide in June, seizures of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana (combined, by weight) increased 49% from June 2024.
• Fiscal year drug seizures 57% higher than under Biden: CBP has seized 57% more drugs this fiscal year through June than it seized during the same period of FY 2024.
• Fentanyl seizures up: Fentanyl seizures increased 42% from May 2026, with 1,072 pounds seized in June 2026.
• Heroin seizures up: Heroin seizures increased 49% from May 2026, with 68 pounds seized in June 2026.
• Cocaine seizures soar: Cocaine seizures increased 71% from May 2026, with 6,242 pounds seized in June 2026.

Additional CBP drug seizure statistics can be found on the Drug Seizure Statistics webpage.

Trade and Tariff Enforcement

CBP plays a central role in enforcing U.S. trade law and supporting economic security.

• $330 billion in imports processed in June 2026.
• $22.9 billion in duties identified for collection.

Protecting Consumers and Supply Chains

CBP continues to safeguard the American economy by targeting forced labor and counterfeit goods.

• In June, CBP stopped 372 shipments valued at more than $38 million for potential forced labor violations.
• CBP seized a quantity of nearly 2 million counterfeit goods valued at over $1.4 billion.

Agriculture Stats/Seizures – Securing American Agriculture

In May, CBP agriculture specialists helped protect America’s agriculture, natural resources, and economic prosperity.

• CBP issued 5,677 emergency action notifications for restricted and prohibited plant and animal products.
• CBP conducted 104,014 positive passenger inspections and issued 748 civil penalties and/or violations to the traveling public for failing to declare prohibited agriculture items.

Florida Man Charged with Trafficking Thousands of Kilograms of Cocaine from Puerto Rico to John F. Kennedy Airport and Long Island

 

Defendant’s Drug Trafficking Organization Shipped Narcotics Hidden Inside Furniture and in Shipments Labeled as Electronics Parts

An indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging Omar Morales-Negron, also known as “O,” with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.  Morales Negron was arrested on July 14, 2026 in Florida and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Pete Gizas, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York); Frank A Tarentino III, Associate Chief of Operations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Northeast Region (DEA); and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and indictment.

“As alleged, the defendant coordinated the shipments of massive amounts of cocaine into our Long Island community,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “For years Morales-Negron profited from his international trafficking and taking advantage of end users who are addicted to his drugs.  These charges will hold him accountable for the harm he has wrought.” 

“By concealing cocaine inside furniture and shipments disguised as electronic parts, Omar Morales-Negron deliberately attempted to evade law enforcement while fueling addiction and violence throughout Long Island and our region” stated DEA Northeast Associate Chief of Operations Tarentino.  “As alleged, Morales-Negron operated a sophisticated drug trafficking organization responsible for moving thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico into New York. The seizure of more than 465 kilograms of cocaine, coupled with investigative findings indicating the distribution of more than $100 million worth of cocaine on Long Island, underscores the immense scale of this operation. Thanks to the hard work of the DEA, our prosecutors, and our law enforcement partners, Morales-Negron is now in New York to answer for the harm he inflicted on the very communities he sought to poison.” 

“Omar Morales-Negron allegedly trafficked large quantities of cocaine right into our backyard. Drug trafficking tears at our communities, fueling violence, addiction, and instability. The FBI, with its partners, continues to disrupt these operations to protect our neighborhoods,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.

From 2019 through the present, the defendant coordinated large scale shipments and distribution of narcotics from Puerto Rico to Long Island utilizing, among other methods, freight shipping routes.  The defendant’s drug trafficking organization (DTO) shipped narcotics, which were secreted inside furniture, by ocean freight from Puerto Rico to the continental United States.  Once the narcotics arrived in the United States, DTO members loaded the furniture containing narcotics onto trucks and transported them to warehouses in New York, including locations in the Eastern District of New York for distribution.

The defendant also orchestrated the surreptitious shipment of narcotics through the United Parcel Service. All the suspected narcotics-filled shipments weighed approximately the same amount and were labeled as electronics parts sent from a fictious corporation in Puerto Rico (“Company-1”) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK Airport).  Once the purported electronics parts arrived at the JFK Airport, other members of the DTO picked up the shipments for further distribution within the United States. 

To date, law enforcement has intercepted some of the narcotics trafficked by the defendant’s DTO including:

• The January 29, 2026, seizure of 312 kilograms of cocaine (valued at $20 million) from two of Morales-Negron’s subordinates.  The cocaine was shipped from Company-1 in Puerto Rico, arrived at JFK Airport and was picked up on the same day by a member of the DTO.  The DTO member who picked up the shipment arrived driving a U-Haul truck.  Later that day, Nassau County Police Detectives observed two individuals in a Plainview, New York hotel parking lot conduct a hand-to-hand narcotics exchange.  Police approached the two individuals and observed numerous open suitcases which appeared to contain kilograms of cocaine (some of which is pictured below): 

• 

• The July 3, 2026, seizure of 153 kilograms of cocaine (valued at $10 million) from a shipment container seized in Queens, New York (some of which is pictured below):

• 

During the investigation, ledgers detailing Morales-Negron’s large scale and highly profitable narcotics business were recovered allowing law enforcement to determine that his narcotics operation was responsible for the distribution of more than $100 million of cocaine on Long Island. 

The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  If convicted of the charges, Morales-Negron faces up to life in prison.

The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Misorek and Special Assistant United States Attorney James P. Scahill are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of the Eastern District of New York’s Criminal Investigation Unit and Paralegal Specialist Dejah Turla. 

This prosecution is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion.  The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.  Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.  In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children.  The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.