Multi-Agency Bust Seizes $180K, Weapons Arsenal, and Hundreds of Kilos of Cocaine in NJ & NY
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Paramus NJ, A months-long joint investigation by law enforcement agencies in New Jersey and New York has taken down a major interstate drug and firearms trafficking operation, resulting in two arrests and the previously reported seizure of massive quantities of cocaine and illegal weapons.
The multi-agency operation included the New Jersey State Police Weapons Trafficking North Unit (WTNU), NJ DEA Enforcement Group 8, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, NYPD 25th Precinct Field Intelligence Unit, and the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor (NY).
Timeline of the Investigation and Arrests
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April 2026: Detectives identified Charles Gant, 62, of Paramus, NJ, as a primary distributor operating out of Fort Lee, NJ, trafficking kilogram-quantities of cocaine and illegal firearms across New Jersey and New York.
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August 12, 2026: Gant was arrested in Fort Lee following a suspected drug transaction in New York. Search warrants executed on his residences and vehicles uncovered 15 kilograms of cocaine, a handgun, and $180,000 in cash.
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August 25, 2026: Search warrants executed on three of Gant’s seized vehicles revealed electronically operated hidden compartments containing eight handguns, one assault rifle, another kilogram of cocaine, and substantial ammunition.
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August 26, 2026: Investigators targeted Gant’s supplier, Nelson Salcedo, 35, of Englewood, NJ. Detectives intercepted Salcedo at a storage facility in Long Island City, NY, where a vehicular search warrant yielded 266 kilograms of CDS cocaine.
Summary of Charges Filed
Both defendants were remanded to custody pending their detention hearings. The case is being co-prosecuted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor (NY).
Charles Gant (Paramus, NJ)
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Manufacturing and distribution of CDS
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Possession of CDS & maintaining a CDS facility
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Money laundering
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Unlawful possession of a weapon (including possession alongside CDS)
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Certain persons not to have weapons
Nelson Salcedo (Englewood, NJ)
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Possession of CDS
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Possession of CDS with intent to distribute
Disclaimer: All charges are merely accusations, and the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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