HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (WCBS 880) -- Twelve people have been arrested, including some MS-13 gang members, in connection with an alleged drug trafficking operation, and a conspiracy to traffic firearms on Long Island.
The investigation began in June, when the Suffolk County DA’s office, Suffolk police and the DEA looked into the apparent sale of narcotics by and to MS-13 members.
“This investigation had many different arcs, with alleged ties to drug dealing, gun trafficking and a murder conspiracy, but law enforcement painstakingly followed each lead and ultimately took down this criminal network,” said Suffolk District Attorney Tim Sini.
According to the DA’s office, those involved allegedly sold drugs at bars and restaurants in Brentwood and Central Islip. They also allegedly conducted deals in commercial parking lots in Commack, Hauppauge, Brentwood, Central Islip and Bay Shore, and some delivered drugs directly to people's homes.
According to the DA’s office, the investigation led to the arrest of 12 people and the recovery of more than two kilograms of cocaine, five guns, over $25,000 in cash, methamphetamine and ecstasy pills and various drug paraphernalia.
Authorities tabbed Mauricio Velasquez, 45 of Brentwood, as an alleged drug dealer and narcotics supplier to Leonel "Payaso" Padilla-Hernandez, 30 of Brentwood, and Jonathan "Bori" Feliciano-Ramos, 27 of Brentwood, who are alleged leaders of the local drug distribution network, as well as Robert Caro, 51 of Amityville, their alleged supplier.
Padilla-Hernandez and Feliciano were allegedly behind the trafficking of cocaine into Suffolk County from Puerto Rico. Authorities said on Oct. 14, law enforcement officers intercepted a package that contained a quarter-kilo of cocaine that was being to delivered to Padilla-Hernandez.
Amid the investigation, officials said Padilla-Hernandez also allegedly tried selling guns to MS-13 members in Suffolk, which were to be supplied to him by Felipe Garcia-Martin, 50 of Bay Shore.
In connection to the wide-ranging investigation, a search warrant was executed Wednesday and Thursday at six locations in Brentwood, Bay Shore and Amityville, as well as on eight vehicles apparently used to transport narcotics and weapons.
“Gang activity and gang violence almost always involve drug trafficking,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan. “Our investigations have taken us down numerous paths, but none more dangerous than those precipitated by gang-related crime.”
Investigators were also able to intercept “communications” that revealed an apparent conspiracy by MS-13 members to commit a murder.
On Aug. 13, Franklin Orellana Garcia, 36 of Hempstead, and Mario Mejia-Say, 42 of Hempstead, were arrested in connection to the murder conspiracy.
And back in June, 24-year-old Huntington Station resident Jose Saul Martinez Villalta, also know as “Agresor,” was arrested for illegally possessing a loaded handgun.
A warrant was also executed in New Brunswick, New Jersey Tuesday at a hotel, which resulted in the recovery of a loaded pistol, and soon after resulted in the arrest of Garcia-Martin as he traveled from New Jersey to Long Island.
Law enforcement tabbed several others allegedly involved in the sale or possession of narcotics, or the possession of weapons in Suffolk. Of the 12 charged Thursday, three were identified by authorities as members of different MS-13 cliques: Padilla-Hernandez, Roger Arias-Delcid, 41 of Bay Shore, and Jimmy "Smokey" Flamenco, 38 of Bay Shore.
The remainder of those charged in the alleged sale or possession of narcotics or the possession of weapons were Ever Canales-Cruz, 38, of Bay Shore, Junyor Rene Ramirez, 30, of Brentwood, James Gonzalez-Beniquez, 29, of North Amityville, Cenia Velasquez, 24, of Brentwood and Ana Cristelia Molina-Villatoro, 40, of Brentwood.
Related
