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Giovanny Arias, Victor Salazar, and Hector Maren, all of White plains, are three of 11 people indicted following a two-year investigation, said the Queens Acting District Attorney John Ryan.
According to the DA's office, the ring used long-haul truckers to transport carfentanil -- a substance 100 times more deadly than fentanyl -- in addition to heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, ketamine, and tramadol across the country.
One of the main players in the ring was arrested by the Clarkstown Police Street Crime Unit during an operation with the NYPD Intel Unit and Queens Major Case Squad, said the Clarkstown Police.
Alexis Victorero, 47, of Milford, Massachusetts, was nabbed with 35 pounds of illegal drugs including 1 kilogram of Fentanyl, 1-kilogram heroin, 13 kilograms cocaine, and 1,551 imitation oxycodone pills containing Fentanyl, the Clarkstown Police said.
Overall, during the entire operation, officials seized some 68 pounds of cocaine, 11 pounds of carfentanil, eight pounds of heroin, 50 pounds of fentanyl, ketamine, and tramadol, as well as six guns, the District Attorney's Office said.
Arias, 49, the mastermind behind the entire drug operation, was ratted out when officials arrested a Queens resident who they learned worked for Arias.
Following his arrest, Arias was arraigned on October 21, in a Queen's court on a 23-count indictment charging him with operating as a major trafficker, first-, third- and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a controlled substance, criminally using drug paraphernalia and conspiracy.
He is being held without bail and is due back in court on Nov. 21.
Maren, 46, was also charged with operating as a major trafficker, first- and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminally using drug paraphernalia and conspiracy.
Salazar, 59, was charged with operating as a major trafficker, first- and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminally using drug paraphernalia and conspiracy.
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