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Brooklyn Meth Bust Takes Down Gustavo
By
Lauren Evans
Published Oct 2, 2014
Modified Oct 2, 2014
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Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor
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By
Lauren Evans
Published Oct 2, 2014
Modified Oct 2, 2014
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Six members of a Brooklyn drug ring were indicted today after drug enforcement officials uncovered a plan to sell more than three pounds of crystal meth and nearly a pound of heroin in New York.
The four month investigation culminated in the July arrest of Gustavo Adolfo Solis—known as Chili—and his associate, Ricardo Castro, who goes by Bori. DEA officers caught of wind of the Brooklyn-based operation in March, and began tracking Solis through surveillance and wiretaps.
In the first round of arrests, investigators discovered the meth was slated to be transported to Philadelphia from New York on May 19 by a man named Ricardo Salas. They waited until the conclusion of the Cypress Hills hand-off to stop Salas in his car near 91st Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard. On a court-ordered search, they ripped apart the car and found the drugs stashed away in a hidden compartment. Salas was arrested.
The second bust went down on July 16, when Solis and Castro met to obtain 400 grams of heroin from a co-conspirator, Rafael Cordero. Agents watched as Castro and Solis left Castro's home in Flushing, with Solis toting an intentionally innocent Babies R Us shopping bag. Agents collared Solis shortly after he hopped into his BMW X5, an upon searching the bag, discovered the heroin hidden in a box of Winnie the Pooh baby wipes. Castro was also apprehended separately.
Solis and Castro were each charged with several counts of conspiracy, criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance. They are expected to be arraigned on the indictment today in Manhattan Supreme Court.
“Not only were these defendants supplying heroin in Brooklyn and Queens, they also supplied three pounds of methamphetamine that was destined to destroy lives in Pennsylvania," Brooklyn DA Kenneth Thompson said in a statement. "We have not seen that quantity of meth here, indicating that this was a major network. I am pleased to work with Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan and DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge James Hunt to thwart those seeking to make Brooklyn a drug distribution hub.”
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