Federal authorities seized 100 pounds of heroin hidden, worth an estimated $14 million, hidden inside a pickup truck in Elmhurst, Queens Tuesday (Jan. 26). Two men were arrested driving the pair of trucks with North Carolina plates, one of which wasn’t registered.
The attempted drug smugglers were pulled over and questioned at approximately 8:45 p.m., clearly unaware that the Federal Drug Enforcement had been staking out the area for potential drug busts. The trucks were spotted circling the block more than once and the men gave “inconsistent answers” reports the New York Daily News.
Drug sniffing dogs were brought and alerted DEA to the heroine stash. The vehicles were transported to the DEA’s Manhattan location where they were inspected. Heroin packages were found hidden in an axle in the bed of one truck, as well as inside a drive shaft casing.
Suspects, 65-year-old Jose Guadencio Lantan-Vela and 33-year-old Peter Omar Garcia-Romero were arrested on various drug counts. Both men are natives of Guatemala, though Vela entered the U.S. earlier in the month.
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Photo: screenshot
