BY BRONX TIMES
Three New York City men
were arrested for allegedly running
a meth conversion lab out
of a vacant Kingsbridge apartment.
Angel Zepeda, 49, of the
Bronx, Inoel Acosta, 35, and Luis
Reyes, 26, both of Manhattan,
were brought into custody on
charges of running the lab in a
vacant Bronx apartment.
This is the fi rst meth conversion
lab that DEA has encountered
in New York City. The lab
has since been dismantled by
members U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) and New
York City Police Department
(NYPD).
“Illegal drug labs where
chemicals are used to produce
narcotics pose grave dangers
for New Yorkers and fi rst responders,
including the men and
women of the FDNY,” said Fire
Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro.
“Thanks to the excellent work
of law enforcement and the actions
of FDNY members who responded,
this illegal operation
was shut down safely without injury.”
On Feb. 3, offi cers from the
50th Precinct contacted the
DEA after receiving information
about unusual activity at
a vacant apartment located at
3204 Kingsbridge Ave., Apt. 6A.
Members of the NYPD and DEA
reviewed security footage taken
of Apt. 6A and later allegedly
identifi ed Acosta, Reyes and
Zepeda arriving at and leaving
the apartment, sometimes carrying
gallons of acetone. On Feb. 3
in particular, security footage allegedly
showed Acosta and Reyes
entering the apartment with a
large blue container.
It was confi rmed by law enforcement
that neither Reyes nor
Acosta were tenants of the vacant
apartment and had no right
to be inside. Acosta and Reyes
were later detained after they exited
the building at 6:59 p.m. that
same day.
Members of the FDNY, NYPD
and DEA entered the apartment
and allegedly smelled acetone
and saw a makeshift methamphetamine
laboratory in the
apartment, which the DEA described
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, F 30 EB. 19-25, 2021 BTR
as non-furnished. Agents
allegedly found a large metal pot
on the stove burner with a sifter
containing crystal meth, as well
as 12 bricks (weighing approximately
20 pounds) of methamphetamine
powder in reusable
shopping bags under the sink.
Law enforcement allegedly recovered
clear plastic bags containing
2 pounds of crystal meth,
approximately 45 grams of heroin,
and thousands of pills from
a cabinet above the sink.
Offi cials also allegedly recovered
two types of pills, those with
the appearance of oxycodone pills
and those with the appearance of
Percocet pills. The pills will be
tested for fentanyl by the DEA’s
Northeast Regional Laboratory.
There were also scales and a
thermometer in the kitchen.
According to the DEA, the
chemicals found in conversion
labs are highly volatile and may
explode if used or stored improperly.
The FDNY and NYPD
vacated the neighboring apartments
while the lab was being
dismantled.
Further investigation and security
footage allegedly showed
Zepeda, who is the superintendent
of the building, unlocking
the door at Apt. 6A and carrying
supplies used to convert methamphetamine
into crystal meth into
the apartment on Jan. 15. The
supplies they carried allegedly
included a baking tray, a large
blue cooler and a large cooking
pot. Zepeda was arrested in the
lobby of the building on Feb. 11.
Acosta and Reyes were
charged with Criminal Possession
of a Controlled Substance
in the First, Second, Third and
Fifth Degrees, Burglary in the
Third Degree and Criminally
Using Drug Paraphernalia in the
Second Degree. They were both
arraigned in Manhattan Criminal
Court on Feb. 5 and held on
bail. Zepeda is charged with
Criminal Facilitation in the Second
Degree and was arraigned
on Feb. 12 in Manhattan Criminal
Court — he was released on
supervised release.
“This isn’t breaking bad, but
it is a bad sign that methamphetamine
is trying to make a home
in New York City. If the latest reports
of increases in drug-related
overdose deaths don’t scare you,
crystal meth conversion labs in
New York City should,” DEA Special
Agent in Charge Ray Donovan
said. “As the Mexican drug
traffi cking networks continue to
push methamphetamine across
the nation towards New York,
DEA and our law enforcement
partners will continue to interdict
the shipments, dismantle
distribution networks, and save
lives.
Photo Credit: DEA New York Division
Three men arrested for
running meth lab in vacant
Kingsbridge apartment
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