Over 110 lbs. of crystal meth seized in Manhattan: officials

MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — Law enforcement seized over 110 pounds of crystal methamphetamine from a car in Manhattan on Monday in connection to an interstate drug trafficking investigation.

The drugs have an estimated street value of $600,000, officials said.

New York Drug Enforcement Task Force members stopped the vehicle bearing Pennsylvania license plates around 9 a.m. Monday. The traffic stop happened near West Street and Battery Place.

Law enforcement saw two large duffel bags in the rear seat and obtained a court-authorized search warrant while the two occupants, Fernando Penaloza-Reyes and Raul Cruz-Torres, were detained, officials said.

The bags were removed around 3:40 p.m. and were found to contain around 50 vacuum-sealed packages of white substance that officials believe to be crystal methamphetamine.

The substance was sent to a Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory for analysis.

Penaloza-Reyes and Cruz-Torres were charged on a criminal complaint. They were released post-arraignment.

Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here .

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