A Queens man was busted for allegedly bringing 50 pounds of cocaine over state lines, officials say.
Omar Machado, 33, was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First, Third and Seventh Degrees, and Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree.
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said, “We have seen a recent pattern of large cocaine seizures in our area. That trend is consistent with record high coca cultivation in South America. We will remain vigilant in our efforts to stem the flow of all illegal narcotic drugs into our city.“
According to court documents, on Sept. 3, members of DEA New Jersey, Enforcement Group 2 allegedly tracked Machado, who was suspected of trafficking narcotics, as he drove a white white Toyota Highlander from New Jersey to Woodhaven Boulevard in Middle Village. Agents stopped Machado in a parking garage adjacent to the apartment building, located at 62-98 Woodhaven Blvd., where a state police dog allegedly alerted to the presence of drugs. Agents then detained Machado while they worked to get a search warrant for the car and apartment 5O in the building.
During the court-authorized search of the vehicle, DEA allegedly found multiple locked safes from inside two cardboard boxes in the trunk. The safes allegedly contained 23 kilogram-sized packages of cocaine wrapped in colored tape. In the car’s hidden trap compartment, agents allegedly found a small amount of fentanyl.
At 8 p.m. that evening, DEA agents searched the apartment and allegedly found 150 glassine envelopes of fentanyl from a safe in the bedroom closet, as well as $4,000 cash. A laboratory analysis by the NYPD found the presence of xylazine, a non-opioid sedative, in the fentanyl mixture. DEA estimated the drugs carry a street value of over $1 million.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said, “Countless New Yorkers are safer today because of this narcotics seizure. More than $1 million worth of poisonous cocaine, fentanyl and xylazine that was intended for our streets is now in an evidence room. I thank the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their extraordinary work on this case.”
DEA New Jersey Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz said, “Once again we see some of the lengths drug traffickers take to hide and transport illegal drugs across the tristate area. Thanks to the quick action of our DEA team and partners, we were able to remove approximately 23 kilos of cocaine as well as fentanyl from their supply chain. The DEA will continue to use all our resources to stop the flow of illegal drugs from making their way into our communities.”
Machado was released on a $750,000 bond following his initial arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court.
