Yasmil Minaya ‘Animal’ Convicted in Major Heroin Conspiracy

Yasmil Minaya, a 33-year-old from Passaic County, New Jersey, known on the streets as ‘Animal,’ is going down for his role in a massive heroin trafficking conspiracy that flooded the Northeast with deadly narcotics. After a two-week trial in Newark federal court, a jury found Minaya guilty on both counts: conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and distribution and possession with intent to distribute the same quantity. The verdict, delivered after just one day of deliberation, marks a hard-fought win in the battle against international drug cartels operating on U.S. soil.

Minaya wasn’t just a low-level dealer — he was a key player in a sprawling drug trafficking organization with ties to the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Federal prosecutors revealed that Minaya and his co-defendants acted as primary distributors in New Jersey and New York, receiving multi-kilogram heroin shipments transported by truck from deep within cartel supply chains. The operation moved poison by the kilo, with payments wired up front before the drugs hit street-level markets. This wasn’t corner-corner dealing. This was organized warfare on public health.

The evidence presented at trial tied the organization to several high-impact seizures. In March 2015, authorities intercepted approximately two kilograms of heroin linked to the crew. That was followed by a four-kilogram bust in November 2015 and a staggering 10-kilogram seizure in January 2017. Each haul represents hundreds of thousands of lethal doses. Each seizure proves the depth and reach of a network that treated human lives as collateral damage in a profit-driven blood trade.

Minaya now faces the full wrath of federal sentencing guidelines. Each count carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life behind bars, and a $10 million fine — per count. Sentencing is set for September 4, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty. With no plea deal and a jury verdict sealing his fate, Minaya’s days of moving dope under the alias ‘Animal’ are over. The federal system doesn’t forgive — especially not men who fuel epidemics.

The case was prosecuted under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), the federal government’s premier initiative to dismantle high-level drug operations. The OCDETF’s mission is clear: identify the kingpins, follow the money, and break the back of the syndicates poisoning American communities. This conviction is not just about one man — it’s about sending a message to every trafficker hiding behind street names and shell games.

U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited the DEA and the New Jersey State Police Trafficking North Unit for their relentless investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Wangenheim handled the prosecution. As the feds close in on the rest of the network, Minaya’s conviction stands as a grim milestone — another link in the chain, another name etched into the ledger of those who thought they could outplay the law. They didn’t. And now, they’re paying.