Seven indicted in Mott Haven
drug packaging mill operation
BY JASON COHEN
Seven men were charged on
Thursday, December 12 with
operating a fentanyl packaging
operation in Mott Haven
and one defendant faces assault
charges for allegedly
throwing fentanyl at a law enforcement
offi cer with the intent
to cause serious injury.
Law enforcement obtained
a search warrant for a suspected
narcotics packaging
location at 304 Willis Avenue,
Apt. 4D on November 7.
Upon entering the apartment,
offi cers encountered six
individuals in the living room
along with a large quantity of
suspected heroin and fentanyl
packaged into nearly 20,000
individual dose glassine envelopes,
as well as additional
quantities of narcotics in loose
powder form.
However, before they could
secure the apartment, defendant
Christian Rojas allegedly
threw loose fentanyl at
the head of one of the offi cers,
striking him with powder and
causing the dust from the potent
narcotic to become air-
borne.
The offi cer exhibited fentanyl
related symptoms, including
nausea and shortness
of breath and was treated by
emergency responders.
A second offi cer who was
immediately behind the injured
offi cer also experienced
nausea and shortness of
breath, and momentarily lost
consciousness while being
transported to a hospital via
ambulance.
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BRONX TIMES REPORTER, D 30 ECEMBER 20-26, 2019 BTR
A total of four offi cers experienced
fentanyl-related symptoms
as a result of being inside
the apartment.
The defendants were arraigned
Thursday, December
12. Rojas was charged with
two counts of attempted aggravated
assault upon a police
offi cer, two counts of assault
in the second degree and one
count of reckless endangerment
Fentanyl at a packagin goperation in Mott Haven. Photo Courtesy DEA
in the second degree.
All seven defendants, including
four from the Bronx,
Francisco Payano, Mario
Guerrero, Jose Gonzalez
and Margaret Payano, were
charged with criminal possession
of a controlled substance
in the fi rst degree, two counts
of criminal possession of a
controlled substance in the
third degree and two counts
of criminally using drug paraphernalia
in the second degree.
Glassines discovered at the Mott Haven fentanyl bust. Photo Courtesy DEA
Health Plan
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