‘El Chapo’ branded heroin
recovered in $5M bust
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Three kilograms of suspected
heroin and more
than 250,000 individually
packaged glassine envelopes
were confi scated by
police in the Bronx on Friday,
July 19.
More than just an average
drug bust though, many
of these packages were
branded with an ‘El Chapo’
stamp after the Mexican
drug lord that’s expected to
do life in prison.
The bust began when
New York Drug Enforcement
Task Force and other
law enforcement were conducting
surveillance in the
vicinity of 3039 Wallace Avenue
and Boston Road on
Tuesday, July 16.
Investigators observed a
black, Massachusetts registered
Toyota Corolla sedan
with a large shopping bag
inside the vehicle. After
police pulled the car over,
they saw one a large shopping
bag on the fl oor of the
back seat of the vehicle with
a large number of packages
consistent with heroin
glassines visible.
The driver of the vehicle,
Luis Carmona-Ilarazza
was arrested as the bag was
found to contain approximately
70,000 individually
packaged glassine envelopes
containing white powder
.W
hen police reviewed
surveillance video outside
the Wallace Avenue apartment
building the next day,
it showed Joseph Medina-
Hidalgo, give a second man,
later identifi ed as Amaury
Lora-Grullon, a large suitcase.
Lora-Grullon then
placed the suitcase in the
trunk of a 2013 black Toyota
Camry before entering the
car outside of the apartment
building.
Another 17,000 individually
packaged glassines of
heroin were found inside
the suitcase in the trunk
of the vehicle after police
pulled the car over, arresting
Lora-Grullon in the process.
After attaining a search
warrant for Apartment 4D of
3039 Wallace Avenue,
Investigators dismantled a
fully functioning heroin mill
that contained the three kilograms
of heroin, an estimated
170,000 glassines of milled and
packaged heroin.
A substantial amount of
packaging equipment was
also recovered, including
numerous grinders used to
process the heroin, packagingmaterials
and 47 various
stamps, used to brand
the heroin with a variety of
names, including El Chapo,
Dunkin Donuts, Exit 4,
Rolex, T Mobile, NBA, Coca-
Cola, Sleep Walking, Peter
Rabbit, Superman, Hello
Kitty, iPhone, KTM and
Black Hand.
The glassine envelopes of
heroin were piled on tables, in
bags and on the fl oor as well.
Most of the glassines were
already bundled into rectangular
packages that were
wrapped in white paper and
plastic according to brand
name, ready for delivery to
the street.
Three kilograms in brick
form were found in bags
wrapped in cellophane.
The DEA estimated that
the black market value of the
suspected heroin at approximately
$5 million.
Results of laboratory
analysis of the seized narcotics
are pending.
15 BRONX WEEKLY July 28 2019 www.BXTimes.com
This is an artist rendering of the new school building being constructed.
Photo courtesy of South Bronx Classical Academy IV
S. Bronx Classical IV Charter School
breaks ground in Concourse Village
South Bronx Classical
IV Charter School has been
in existence since 2017 and
will ultimately educate 500
students per year, said the
charter school network executive
director.
Classical opened its fi rst
school on Fox Street in 2006
and was so inundated with
parent demand that in 2013
they opened a second school
in Port Morris, said Long.
The charter school
waited to fi ne-tune its curriculum
and teaching
methods before opening its
second location, he said.
In 2015, it opened a 53,000
square foot new school
building in Morrisania to
house its third school, he
added.
The latest building
should open in August
2020.
Classical Charter
Schools may look to expand
into other communities
around the borough,
as many students are currently
being bused to their
current locations from
other nearby neighborhoods.
The school’s focus is on
a back-to-basics education
in the tradition of classical
education. Latin and Debate
are taught, said Long.
“The demand has been
so overwhelming high and
we get about 15 applications
for every available seat, so
we are doing everything we
can to start more schools,”
said Long. “We really want
to cover the south Bronx
because we want to make
sure every parent and student
can walk to a great
school.”
Possible areas of expansion
include Soundview,
Tremont and Fordham,
said Long.
The new Concourse Village
building will feature
classically-themed paint
accents, use of Roman numerals
in signs and other
back-to-basics features.
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The ‘El Chapo’ stamp amoung others recovered by police. Bronx DA’s Offi ce
Heroin recovered from the bust. Bronx DA’s Offi ce
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