Cocaine Hidden In Toy Boxes Was Imported To Ocean County For Sale: Prosecutor

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Three Toms River men have been arrested in a cocaine distribution scheme that imported large quantities of cocaine using children's toy boxes, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced Monday.

Christian Bultron-Rios, 37, Christian Bultron-Carmona, 18, and Anfernee Guzman-Romero, 26, were arrested March 8 following a six-month investigation that involved multiple agencies, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

The investigation identified four homes in Toms River as used for storing and distributing the cocaine, and all three men were seen distributing large quantities of cocaine throughout the county, he said.

On March 8, detectives were conducting surveillance on the four homes and saw Bultron-Rios leaving one of the homes carrying two children’s toy boxes and was detained, he said. Authorities subsequently found about 1 pound of cocaine in each toy box, he said.

Bultron-Rios then was arrested, he said.

That led to multiple court-authorized search warrants that were executed on all four homes, which led to the seizure of unspecified quantities of cocaine and suboxone, a polymer assault rifle with high-capacity magazine, a semiautomatic handgun, hollow-point ammunition, and drug paraphernalia indicative of narcotics manufacturing and distribution, Billhimer said.

Guzman-Romero and Bultron-Carmona were arrested at one of the homes, he said.

Bultron-Rios was charged with possession of more than 5 ounces of cocaine with intent to distribute, conspiracy to possess more than 5 ounces of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine, possession of suboxone, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He is being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.

Guzman-Romero was charged with conspiracy to possess more than 5 ounces of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm during the commission of a controlled dangerous substance offense, possession of an assault weapon, possession of a high-capacity magazine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He is being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.

Bultron-Carmona was charged with conspiracy to possess more than 5 ounces of cocaine with intent to distribute. He was charged on a summons pending a court appearance.

The following agencies combined on the investigation: the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force; Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Asset Forfeiture Unit; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration-High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Group 5; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Service inspectors, New Jersey State Police-Trafficking Central Unit, Toms River Police Department and its EMS unit, Lakewood Township Police Department; the Manchester Township Police Department Narcotics Enforcement Team, Berkeley Township Police Department Detective Bureau, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office.