Massive $10M Cocaine Bust: Englewood Man Arrested in NYC’s Largest Narcotics Seizure in 20 Years
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the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Englewood, NJ — A 35-year-old Englewood, New Jersey resident is facing severe federal and state charges after law enforcement officials seized more than 580 pounds (266 kilograms) of cocaine valued at an estimated $10 million.
Prosecutors described the historic multi-agency operation as the single largest cocaine haul in New York City in 20 years.
Multi-Agency Investigation Uncovers High-Level Drug Ring
The arrest of Nelson Salcedo on Wednesday, August 26, was the culmination of an intensive two-week joint investigation into high-level narcotics trafficking spanning New York City and New Jersey.
The task force brought together multiple regional law enforcement entities, including:
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DEA New Jersey Field Division
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New York City Police Department (NYPD)
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New Jersey State Police
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Port Authority Police Department
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Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office
Central Park Deliveries and the Long Island City Storage Sting
Beginning Wednesday, August 12, investigators conducted surveillance on Salcedo, observing him allegedly make weighted cardboard box deliveries near the northern end of Central Park in Manhattan on consecutive Wednesday evenings. Salcedo utilized a Nissan van registered to a legitimate elevator repair company to transport the packages.
On August 26, at approximately 4:20 p.m., investigators tracked Salcedo to a self-storage facility located at 41-02 Northern Blvd. in Long Island City, Queens. Officers watched as he made multiple trips into the facility, returning with several brown cardboard boxes.
When law enforcement moved in to detain Salcedo, they discovered 12 boxes loaded inside the van and seven additional boxes on the pavement. A court-authorized search of the 19 boxes revealed 230 brick-shaped packages containing approximately 266 kilograms of suspected cocaine. Field tests immediately confirmed the presence of cocaine.
Historical Seizure Highlights Ongoing Safety Concerns
The size of the bust marks a major milestone for law enforcement officials across the metropolitan area:
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NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed the raid represents the department’s largest cocaine seizure in at least a decade.
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Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan noted it appears to be her office’s largest single cocaine haul in 20 years.
Prosecutor Brennan emphasized the critical public safety impact of the bust, noting that cocaine is involved in more than half of New York City’s overdose deaths and presents extreme dangers to the public, particularly when laced with lethal synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
Salcedo was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court and charged with first-degree and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
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Tags: #BergenCounty #EnglewoodNJ #NYPD #DEA #DrugBust #NewYorkCity #CrimeNews #LocalNews
