By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – The state Attorney General's Organized Crime Task force busted up what is considered the largest Heroin ring in Buffalo's history.
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the arrests and indictments of 15 suspects from his downtown Buffalo office Wednesday. Operation Horse Trail uncovered a drug distribution network.
"Drug traffickers destroy our communities and wreak havoc on families across the state," said Attorney General Schneiderman.
"This investigation has shut down a major pipeline of illegal drugs coming into Western New York. I want to thank our partners in law enforcement - the State Police, Erie County Sheriff's Department, the City of Buffalo Police Department and the US Border Patrol - for working with us to get these deadly narcotics off the streets so they no longer infect our neighborhoods," said Schneiderman.
The accused members of the narcotics distribution organization would transport the heroin to Buffalo from the Bronx and "stash" it in an apartment in City's Delaware District where it was prepared for distribution.
The Organized Crime Task Force and the New York State Police conducted an 11-month-long investigation. More than seven kilograms of heroin with an estimated street value of $3.5 million and more than $45,000 in cash was seized.
Those charged in the Erie County indictment are:
EURY RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a Omar Javier Marquez Baergas, a/k/a Omar Marquez, a/k/a Omar Baergas, a/k/a Jesus Polanco, a/k/a Angel Navarro; age 32 of New York, NY
LUIS M. SIME; age 43, Bronx , NY
FERNANDO RODRIGUEZ; age 45, Buffalo, NY
EDWIN GOMEZ, a/k/a Edward Gomez, a/k/a "Baba"; age 32, Bronx, NY
JOSE GARCIA, a/k/a "Markito"; age 49, Bronx, NY
MILADYS GONZALEZ; age 42, Buffalo, NY
CARLOS JIMENEZ; age 39, Buffalo, NY
JONATHAN RIVERA; age 23, Buffalo, NY
NATHANIEL JIMENEZ; age 21, of Puerto Rico
DARIO RIVERA, a/k/a "Indio"; age 31, of Buffalo, NY
JUAN ORTIZ, A/K/A "Bebe"; age 31, address unknown
RICHARD ALEQUIN, a/k/a "Rico", a/k/a "Indio"; age 51, of Buffalo, NY
YADHIRA RAMOS; age 34 of Teaneck, New Jersey
FREIZY DEJESUS ALMANZAR CASTILLO, a/k/a Freizy Almanzar, a/k/a Jose Vasquez; age 26, of Buffalo, NY
ANTHONY FERNANDEZ, age 20, of Buffalo, NY
The investigation was conducted by multiply agencies including: the Community Narcotics Enforcement Teams (C-NET) and Special Investigations Units (SIU) of the New York State Police, the Erie County Sheriff's Department, the City of Buffalo Police Department and the US Border Patrol.