Nicholas Andrade, a key player in a notorious Long Island-based drug trafficking organization known as No Budget, has been indicted for his role in a years-long operation that transported fentanyl and 137 kilograms of cocaine across the country.
According to court documents, Andrade, along with his associates Julian Hutchins, Prince Jones, Jose Lopez, and Ryan O’Malley, engaged in a large-scale narcotics distribution scheme that targeted Long Island and Queens, New York.
The indictment alleges that the defendants carried out the trafficking and distribution of fentanyl and cocaine since 2017, using a series of stash houses in Queens and on Long Island.
As part of the operation, law enforcement intercepted a truck traveling from California to New York containing a shipment of 137 kilograms of cocaine destined for No Budget’s distribution operation.
Andrade, who led the organization, is also charged with the March 9, 2023 murder of Jose Manuel Sosa in Bay Shore and the subsequent attempted murder of a potential witness to the crime.
US Attorney John J. Durham and DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III announced the arrests and charges, praising the work of law enforcement partners, including the Suffolk County Police Department and the New York City Police Department.
Andrade and the other defendants arrested in New York were arraigned before US Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke and detained pending trial. Hutchins, who was arrested in Florida, will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.
If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison and fines. The investigation revealed that the defendants were responsible for the distribution of over 235 kilograms of cocaine and 20 kilograms of fentanyl.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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