Agents ‘saved lives’ with seizure of ‘lethal rainbow’ fentanyl pills in the Bronx: DEA

Two Bronx drug pushers were busted with a stockpile of 300,000 “rainbow fentanyl” pills, with some made to look legit like pharmaceutical drugs including Xanax, officials said Thursday.

The candy-colored pills and 20 lbs. of powdered fentanyl were the latest seizure drug enforcement officials say shows a new street-marketing push to lure young users while deceiving buyers about the presence of fentanyl, which could be lethal in small doses.

The trove has a street value of up to $9 million, said New York City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridge Brennan, who announced the arrests.

“Fentanyl pills are masquerading in many different forms, and our city is flooded with them,” Brennan said in a statement. “Any street drug, whether it looks like a legitimate pharmaceutical or like candy, may be fentanyl, and it may be lethal.”

The US Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division on Friday raided a third-story apartment at 4030 Bronx Blvd., near the Bronx River Parkway and the border of Westchester County.

Some of the approximately 300,000 "rainbow fentanyl" pills were made to look like legitimate pharmaceutical drugs, officials said.
Some of the approximately 300,000 “rainbow fentanyl” pills were made to look like legitimate pharmaceutical drugs, officials said.
DEA

They arrested Erickson Lorenzo, 30, and Jefry Rodriguez-Pichardo, 32, who authorities said was hanging out of a bedroom window with no fire escape. They found the cache of pills sorted by color, — and one garbage bag had as many as 100,000 pills of various colors and shapes, officials said.

Many were pressed to make them look like oxycodone and Xanax, with preliminary testing of the stash indicating the presence of fentanyl.

Also seized were a a Tec-9 semiautomatic assault weapon, a hydraulic door opener and 11 GPS tracking devices, officials said.

The massive seizure took place in a building near the Bronx River Parkway along the border of Westchester County, according to officials.
The massive seizure took place in a building near the Bronx River Parkway along the border of Westchester County, according to officials.
DEA
Some 20 lbs. of powdered fentanyl were also seized, according to law enforcement officials.
Some 20 lbs. of powdered fentanyl were also seized, according to law enforcement officials.
DEA

“There is no question this seizure of poisonous fentanyl saved lives,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said of the seizure.  “Hundreds of thousands of lethal pills were lying in wait in a Bronx apartment to be unleashed onto our streets. In today’s world, the potential to overdose is dangerously high. There is no quality control in these fake pills and it only takes two milligrams of fentanyl to be lethal.

Lorenzo and Rodgriguez-Pichardo were arraigned Saturday on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a weapon and criminally using drug paraphernalia, officials said. Bail was set at $50,000 cash, $1 million or $1 million partially secured bond, according to the announcement.

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