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DEA Seizes 30kg Cocaine Shipped via UPS to NYC
19 Aug
Summary
- Thirty kilograms of cocaine were seized by law enforcement in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
- Suspects allegedly used UPS packages to smuggle the large quantities of cocaine.
- Cocaine supply in New York City is reportedly on the rise and dangerously mixed with opioids.
In July, a significant drug smuggling operation was dismantled in New York City, leading to the arrest of three suspects. These individuals are accused of exploiting UPS package delivery services to traffic substantial amounts of cocaine into the city.
Two separate investigations, involving the DEA, NYPD, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, uncovered a total of 30 kilograms of cocaine. One operation in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, involved two UPS packages flagged by a K9 unit, containing a total of 19 kilograms of the drug. Joshua Vargas was arrested attempting to claim one of these packages.
A second operation in Manhattan's Kips Bay identified an 11-kilogram cocaine shipment originating from California. Ines Zouiche was apprehended receiving this package, and Tyrone Watts, who was circling the block in a car, was stopped shortly after. Investigators found forged documents and cash on Watts, and two children were present in his vehicle.
Officials highlighted that drug traffickers are increasingly using legitimate shipping services. The Special Narcotics Prosecutor emphasized that the city's cocaine supply is rising and poses a severe risk due to frequent adulteration with lethal opioids and synthetic drugs.
