Blocks away from the New York City daycare where a 1-year-old child died after being exposed to fentanyl law enforcement officers seized over 40 pounds of fentanyl, worth nearly $1.5 million.
Authorities said in a press release that they found the stash of fentanyl just six blocks away from the Divino Niño Daycare Center where Nicholas Dominici, 1, and two 2-year-old boys, and an 8-month-old girl were found unresponsive in the basement on September 15.
"The public outcry after the poisoning death of a toddler was not enough to stop a drug mill from operating just six blocks away from that Daycare," DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said.
According to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials, Juan Gabriel Herrera Vargas, 42, was charged with allegedly operating as a major trafficker, criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminally using drug paraphernalia.
"Herrera Vargas took danger one step further and wheeled over 40 pounds of fentanyl around the city and on the subway with no regard to public safety," DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said.
In a press release from the DEA, officials said that police saw Vargas on Tuesday carrying a small black bag to the Kingsbridge Road subway station and followed him as he traveled from south and later made a northbound return trip on the subway.
When authorities confronted the suspected drug trafficker, he gave them his wallet and ran away leaving a small black and tan suitcase. Police said that they found 13 rectangular shaped kilogram bricks of what appeared to be fentanyl inside the suitcase.
Hours later, police said that they saw Vargas once again rolling a blue suitcase.
Law enforcement arrested Vargas and seized more suspected fentanyl that was stashed in 50,000 glassines wrapped together in 25 larger packages from inside the suitcase.
When authorities began to search the 42-year-old's apartment in the Bronx, they noticed that the windows were covered with black plastic trash bags.
Upon further investigation, they found one kilogram of fentanyl, six pounds of loose powder, 10,000 filled glassines and other packing materials.
The DEA said that the results of the laboratory analysis on the narcotics are still pending.
The discovery of the large drug mill comes after the arrests of Renny Antonio Parra Parades, Grei Mendez De Ventura and neighbor Carlisto Acevedo Brito who were arrested in connection to fetal fentanyl overdose at the daycare.
The Department of Justice unsealed a criminal complaint charging Parra Paredes, who was charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death.
Divino Nino Daycare owner De Ventura and Brito were both arrested on Sept. 16 and charged in federal court with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and narcotics distribution resulting in death, which carry maximum sentences of life in prison.
