DEA seizes stockpile of fentanyl and meth in Passaic County
The DEA says it's one of the largest seizures of fentanyl ever recorded in the northeast
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The DEA and the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey announced that they've taken down a major drug operation that was serving New Jersey, New York and much of the Northeast.
The DEA investigation revealed that massive quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine were being stockpiled in a garage at a Clifton apartment complex.
Authorities say they seized 40 kilos of fentanyl and 52 kilos of methamphetamine from the garage in Clifton on Friday.
Investigators also confiscated cocaine, crack, mushrooms, pills and guns. Altogether, authorities say its worth about $10 million.
The DEA says that the amount of powder form of fentanyl could produce 25 million pills and as many as five million lethal doses. Fentanyl-laced drugs are a leading cause of overdoses.
“Anything 2 milligrams or more is what we consider a lethal dose. What we see is about 30% of the pills we seize contain 2 milligrams or more and that’s what kills people," says Christopher Roberts, special agent in charge for the DEA.
U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Robert Frazer says investigators arrested Nankel Solorzano outside of an apartment along Bloomfield Avenue. Solorzano is accused of running the drug operation.
“The scale of this seizure is extraordinary. This was a stockpile of drugs stored and ready for distribution on the streets of New Jersey and weapons that were ready to protect that stockpile," said U.S. Attorney Frazer.
Solorzano is facing federal charges for drug and weapons possession.
He has a prior conviction for drug manufacturing dating back to 2007 in Bergen County.
