In a sweeping raid that exposed one of the largest fentanyl hauls in recent Lehigh County history, Harold Bauza was arrested Tuesday on charges of possessing and intending to traffic over 55,000 doses of fentanyl, along with methamphetamine, cocaine, and two firearms—including an AK-47 assault rifle. The bust, led by the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigations, marks a critical blow to a street-level operation flooding communities with lethal synthetic opioids.
On December 2, 2021, agents executed a search warrant at Bauza’s Allentown residence, seizing 372 grams of cocaine, 16 grams of crack cocaine, over two kilograms of marijuana, $4,450 in cash, a kilo press used for bulk packaging, and a .380 Ruger handgun. But the investigation didn’t stop there—authorities followed the trail to a second location, where they uncovered more than 39,000 packaged fentanyl bags and 477.5 grams of bulk fentanyl, pushing the total street value of all seized narcotics past $567,000.
Bauza, already a convicted felon currently on state parole, is explicitly prohibited from possessing firearms—a restriction shattered by the discovery of the AK-47 assault rifle and ballistic body armor at the second site. He now faces multiple felony charges, including Possession with Intent to Deliver methamphetamine, heroin/fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana; Dealing in Unlawful Proceeds; and Person Not to Possess Firearms.
“14 Pennsylvanians die from opioids every day, and we will not sit idly by when dealers peddle poisons and try to profit from devastating our communities,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who announced the arrest from Harrisburg. “With two guns recovered from these searches, including an automatic assault rifle, this is a firm reminder that drug trafficking is a violent enterprise.”
The investigation was a coordinated effort between the Office of Attorney General, the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, and the Allentown City Police Department. Senior Deputy Attorney General Christie Bonesch is prosecuting the case, which remains ongoing as authorities probe potential connections to wider distribution networks. All charges are presumed non-proven under law.
This takedown underscores the lethal intersection of drug trafficking and armed violence plaguing Pennsylvania’s urban corridors. With fentanyl now the leading cause of overdose deaths nationwide, raids like this highlight the deadly stakes—and the urgent need for relentless enforcement in neighborhoods already reeling from addiction and loss.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: Pennsylvania AG
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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