Jose Delacruz was caught allegedly stashing 110 kilos of cocaine inside a truck that was hauling social gathering snacks.
NY Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Drive
Chips and dip — with a aspect of coke.
A Bronx man has been nabbed on drug trafficking expenses after a 110-pound stash of cocaine was found inside a truck hauling social gathering snacks, prosecutors mentioned Tuesday.
Jose Delacruz, 57, was indicted in Manhattan Supreme Court docket on a string of drug-related expenses after the large load of cocaine — estimated to be value $1.25 million — was intercepted in Virginia final October, hidden in bins of lentil chips and queso dip.
Delacruz had allegedly organized for his cousin, Luis Delacruz, to drive the majority cargo of medication from Texas to New York, prosecutors mentioned.
“Let’s see if we will decide up this weekend, and that method I could be over on the warehouse by Tuesday-Wednesday,” Delacruz allegedly informed his relative in a wiretapped name on Sept. 30.
Simply days later, prosecutors mentioned, Delacruz obtained a number of calls from Luis — partly in code — telling him to prepare to select up the stash at an undisclosed location round Oct. 9.
“Saturday, be on the alert as to the place I could make a cease at a type of places, and you'll go in a cab and decide up the woman,” Luis allegedly mentioned on the decision, utilizing “woman” as a code phrase for cocaine.
Earlier than the cargo might even attain the Huge Apple, authorities detained Luis as he pulled right into a truck cease in Raphine, Virginia, within the early hours of Oct. 6.
The cocaine was discovered hidden in two duffle luggage contained in the truck that was carrying boxloads of meals gadgets, together with snack chips and dip, prosecutors mentioned.
A subsequent raid on Delacruz’s Bronx condo allegedly uncovered about $24,600 in money, a kilo press used to form medicine into bricks and a cash counter.
Investigators mentioned a hidden compartment within the flooring of Delacruz’s rest room was empty — however had a powerful odor of cocaine.
“The less-than dynamic Delacruz duo allegedly thought that they may evade regulation enforcement by talking in code to at least one one other and making an attempt to hide 50 kilograms of cocaine in a truck hauling snacks — however they had been incorrect,” mentioned Ricky J. Patel, Homeland Safety’s appearing particular agent in cost.
Delacruz was taken into custody on Jan. 11 on expenses of working as a serious trafficker, conspiracy within the second diploma and felony possession of a managed substance within the first and third levels. His bail was set at $300,000.
His cousin was additionally arrested and is going through federal expenses in Virginia, prosecutors mentioned.
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