Federal and state authorities seized cocaine and methamphetamine worth more than $1,100,000 from a New York City apartment Tuesday night, a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) prosecutor announced Friday.
New York Police Department officers, New York State Police as well as DEA agents took in 30 pounds of meth as well as over eight pounds of coke — both of which were found in a bedroom closet at the upscale Mercedes House residences in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of NYC, according to a press release by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York. In addition to the drugs, officials found $27,880 in cash stashed in a backpack, according to the release.
The seizure resulted in the arrests of a Colorado resident, Jovanny Salas, 29, and Manhattan resident Sergio Betancourt Peralta, 34, according to the release. Each suspect was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First, Second and Third Degrees, according to the release. Both suspects have ties to Mexico, documentation confiscated by officers and agents suggested, according to the release. (RELATED: Pete Buttigieg Dodges On Why Biden Won’t Reinstate Trump’s ‘Remain In Mexico’ Policy)
Police arrested
👿Jovanny Salas, 29, and
👿Sergio Peralta, 34, on March 12, charging them with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first, second and third degrees. pic.twitter.com/qTgYz41uBa— JB Freedmen (@JayeB62620916) March 15, 2024
“These individuals had no regard for the dangers they, or this operation, brought to this community,” New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven G. James stated.
The court-authorized search warrant was granted as part of an “investigation into methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking in New York City,” the release reads. (RELATED: Biggest Counterfeit Goods Bust In American History Leads To Two Arrests, Over $1,000,000,000 In Seizures)
Before the search warrant was executed, undercover operatives on behalf of New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, an arm of the DEA, were conducting surveillance of the immediate area, according to the release.
The unmarked unit reportedly observed Salas as he departed the residence via elevator, descending from the 27th floor, where the apartment of interest is, to the main lobby below. There, he was met by DEA agents and police, according to the release.
Officers and agents proceeded to apprehend Salas — and found a wallet with identifications bearing the name of the second suspect, as well as a key to the apartment while doing so, the release states.
Moments later, authorities moved forward with the search warrant of unit 27F, encountering Betancourt Peralta inside. He too was taken into custody, according to the release.
38 pounds of meth, cocaine recovered in $1.1M drug bust at posh NYC high-rise https://t.co/PmqaN3rKtd pic.twitter.com/g2hOXIMYYH
— New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) March 15, 2024
“Our investigations take us all over New York City and the world, but this investigation led us to a million-dollar cocaine seizure in Hell’s Kitchen,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said, according to the press release. “DEA and our law enforcement partners are steadfast in bringing to justice those responsible for pushing illegal drugs onto our streets.”
Salas and Betancourt Peralta were arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court Wednesday night. They remain in custody at Riker’s Island pending either $75,000 bail or $100,000 bond, The New York Post reported.
The alleged drug dealing duo leave behind a luxury apartment which boasts an array of amenities, such as a 24-hour front desk concierge, as listed on the Mercedes House website. Other in-house luxuries include, but are not limited to, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a full-service day spa, a jacuzzi area, indoor basketball courts, sauna and steam rooms, a private gym and boxing, yoga and spin studios.