$1 million worth of cocaine, fentanyl seized in NYC drug bust

MIDDLE VILLAGE, Queens (PIX11) – More than $1 million worth of cocaine and fentanyl were seized in a drug bust in New York City last month, authorities said.

A suspected narcotics trafficker was arraigned on charges Tuesday following an investigation that resulted in the discovery of 50 pounds of cocaine and packages of fentanyl in Queens, according to the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York.

Omar Machado, 33, of Queens, has been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminally using drug paraphernalia, authorities said.

Back on Sept. 3, members of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration tracked Machado from New Jersey to Middle Village, where agents stopped him in a parking garage next to an apartment building at 62-98 Woodhaven Blvd., according to the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office.

Agents searched Machado’s vehicle and an apartment in the building and found the cocaine and fentanyl, authorities said.

An NYPD laboratory discovered the presence of xylazine in the fentanyl mixture, according to the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office.

“We have seen a recent pattern of large cocaine seizures in our area. That trend is consistent with record high coca cultivation in South America. We will remain vigilant in our efforts to stem the flow of all illegal narcotic drugs into our city,” Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said.

Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here .

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