New York Man Arrested for Narcotics Conspiracy
A major blow was dealt to the narcotics trade in New York as Jorge Aponte-Guzman, 33, was arrested and charged with narcotics conspiracy. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the DEA announced the indictment of Aponte-Guzman, along with Nelson Agramonte-Minaya, 37, and Carlos Maisonet-Lopez, 32.
According to authorities, Aponte-Guzman traveled in a rental van from New Jersey to meet with Agramonte-Minaya and Maisonet-Lopez, where law enforcement seized approximately 920 kilograms of cocaine. The cocaine was packaged inside 10 large metal lawn rollers, which were shipped from Puerto Rico to New Jersey.
The investigation, led by the New York Division of the DEA, also resulted in the seizure of an additional 920 kilograms of cocaine from a second shipment. The total amount of cocaine seized is valued at over $1 million.
Aponte-Guzman, Agramonte-Minaya, and Maisonet-Lopez are charged with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The indictment alleges that the defendants were involved in a large-scale narcotics trafficking operation, which was disrupted by the seizure of the cocaine. The investigation involved the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the DEA, the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, and the Mt. Vernon Police Department.
The case is assigned to United States District Judge Alison J. Nathan. The defendants are scheduled to appear in court on September 30, 2021.
The seizure of the cocaine is a significant blow to the narcotics trade in the Northeast, and authorities are praising the work of the DEA and their law enforcement partners.
In total, over 1.8 tons of cocaine have been seized in the past year, a 150% increase from the previous year. The DEA and their partners will continue to work to disrupt narcotics trafficking operations and keep communities safe.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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