A Bronx man was arrested for allegedly trafficking over 100 pounds of cocaine from Virginia in a truck that was headed to New York City, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Jose Delacruz, 57, was charged on March 1 with one count of operating as a major trafficker, one count of conspiracy in the second degree, one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, and one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. Bail was set at $300,000 cash or insurance company bail bond and $600,000 partially secured bond.
The charges came as a result of an investigation by the New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force, Group Z-21, with assistance from the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia.
“This investigation prevented more than 100 pounds of cocaine from reaching our city, where lethal mixtures of narcotics are leading to record high numbers of overdose deaths,” Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said. “This success demonstrates that collaboration among law enforcement agencies is a powerful tool against trafficking networks with nationwide resources and connections, and is critical to reining in this crisis.”
According to charges, between Sept. 27-30, 2021, a wiretap investigation allegedly revealed that Delacruz engaged in a series of phone conversations in Spanish with a relative, Luis Delacruz, about receiving a bulk shipment of narcotics. The two allegedly used coded language to arrange for Luis to pick up 50 kilograms of cocaine and transport the narcotics cross-country to the Bronx. Jose allegedly said, “Let’s see if we can pick up this weekend, and that way I can be over at the warehouse by Tuesday-Wednesday,” in a call on Sept. 30, 2021.
On Oct. 2, 2021, Luis allegedly received a bulk shipment of 50 kilograms of cocaine in Houston, Texas, and on Oct. 6 Luis Delacruz allegedly called Jose stating: “Saturday, be on the alert as to where I can make a stop at one of those locations, and you can go in a cab and pick up the girl,” with Jose replying: “Not a problem. Let’s do it that way,” allegedly recognizing the code word “girl” to mean “cocaine.”
On the night of Oct. 6, 2021, it was determined by Group Z-21 that Luis was traveling through Virginia. Members of the Rockbridge County Sheriff’s Office stopped Luis at 3:26 a.m. the following morning after he exited the cabin of a tractor-trailer (that was moving food such as chips and dip) at a truck stop located on Raphine Road, in Raphine. Inside the cabin of the tractor-trailer, officers allegedly found two duffle bags containing 50 kilograms, or around 110 pounds, of cocaine, which has an estimated street value of $1.25 million. Luis was arrested and faces federal charges in Virginia.
Between Jan. 11-14, 2022, members of Group Z-21 searched Jose’s apartment on East 161st Street in the Bronx and allegedly uncovered $24,600 cash, a kilo press used for shaping narcotics into bricks, and a money counter. A hidden trap compartment underneath the floor of the bathroom was empty, but allegedly had a strong odor of cocaine. Jose was taken into custody on Jan. 11.
“The less-than dynamic Delacruz duo allegedly thought that they could evade law enforcement by speaking in code to one another and attempting to conceal 50 kilograms of cocaine in a truck hauling snacks – but they were wrong. HSI and its partners on the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force cracked the code, found the cocaine, and charged Jose Delacruz for his role in narcotics trafficking,” said Homeland Security Investigations, Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “HSI New York working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners at the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York, will continue to tirelessly pursue narcotics traffickers, who demonstrate blatant disregard for the addiction and damage to lives they cause.”
