Home / Crime and Justice / Trafficker's Crafty Coke Scheme Foiled by Diligent Investigators
Trafficker's Crafty Coke Scheme Foiled by Diligent Investigators
6 Sep
Summary
- 20 pounds of cocaine worth $300,000 seized
- Cocaine hidden in cigar boxes with false bottoms
- Joint investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies
On April 16, 2025, law enforcement authorities in New York City uncovered a major drug trafficking operation, seizing 20 pounds of cocaine worth approximately $300,000. The cocaine was hidden in cigar boxes with false bottoms, a creative concealment method used by the trafficker.
The arrest was the result of a joint investigation by the Special Narcotics Prosecutor's Office, the NYPD, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. Investigators tracked the suspect, Jose Leonardo, as he allegedly transported the drugs from his home in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, to New Jersey and back.
After obtaining a search warrant, authorities recovered the cocaine from Leonardo's home and vehicle. They also found similarly sized bricks of ketamine in his bedroom. The Special Narcotics Prosecutor, Bridget Brennan, praised the "diligent investigative work and effective collaboration" that led to the successful bust, which she said "underscores the investigative expertise that our special agents and law enforcement partners have in dismantling the schemes of treacherous drug traffickers."
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez added that the seizure of this "massive quantity of cocaine makes Brooklyn safer and delivers a heavy blow to the drug-trafficking networks that poison our streets." If convicted, Leonardo faces between 8 and 20 years in state prison.
