21 Arrested In Two Major New Jersey Heroin, Cocaine Busts

Editor's Note: One or more names in this report have been redacted in light of additional documentation provided regarding this case.

Twenty-one people were arrested in two drug busts that took down two major heroin and coke operations in New Jersey, authorities said.

Eight people were arrested and large quantities of illegal narcotics and cash were seized as the result of an intensive and fast-moving investigation into drug trafficking in the Union County area, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Tuesday.

Thirteen individuals have also been arrested in connection with a multi-state, large-scale narcotics organization based out of Hudson County following a three-month long investigation, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

In the Union County case, several search warrants executed in multiple towns Friday night resulted in the seizure of approximately half a kilogram of raw heroin, an additional 7,700 folds of heroin packaged into bricks, more than one full kilogram of cocaine, half a kilogram of the designer drug known as “molly,” and approximately $63,500 in cash, according to authorities.

The estimated combined street value of the seized drugs is slightly over $500,000.

Arrested Friday included the primary target of the investigation, 36-year-old Dario Camino of Elizabeth.

The Union County Prosecutor's Office also charged 35-year-old Erika Garcia of Newark; 22-year-old Fatima Gonzalez and 37-year-old Martin Davis of Plainfield; 31-year-old Jose Segovia, 32-year-old Geovany Camino and 36-year-old Eddie Jimenez, each of Elizabeth.

Also charged in connection with the investigation was 25-year-old Amber Tompkins of Old Bridge, who turned herself in to authorities on Monday.

The investigation revealed that Dario Camino and his co-defendants had been orchestrating the distribution of large quantities of heroin and other drugs in and around the Elizabeth area during recent months, authorities said.

As members of the Elizabeth Police Department SWAT Unit approached Camino outside his home on the 1100 block of Mary Street in Elizabeth Friday night, he entered a vehicle and quickly fled the scene, but he and Segovia were arrested shortly thereafter by detectives at a bar in neighboring Newark, authorities said.

In the Hudson County case, the prosecutor's Narcotics Task Force, in conjunction with the New Jersey Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, executed multiple search and arrest warrants in Hudson County, New Jersey; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Robinsonville, Mississippi; and Brandon, Florida.

The arrests successfully dismantled an alleged large-scale narcotics drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of cocaine throughout Hudson County, according to authorities.

The Hudson investigation was initiated in January 2016, after information was received that Carlos Rios headed a local organization alleged to be acquiring kilogram-quantities of cocaine being shipped to the continental United States by Victor Noble-Canales, a suspected Puerto Rico-based supplier, via the United States Postal Service from Puerto Rico to various destinations in the New Jersey/New York area.

Rios then allegedly utilized several associates, including Ricky Cedeno and Michael Carrasco of Union City, as well as Xavier Pena of the Bronx, New York in obtaining those packages upon their arrival in the Hudson County area.

Also identified as part of the organization were Josephine Pacheco and (removed), who are believed to have participated in laundering illegal proceeds derived from the distribution of cocaine, authorities said.

On April 21, members of the Caribbean Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Department of Homeland Security in San Juan, Puerto Rico arrested Noble-Canales at his residence in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A subsequent search of NobleCanales’ residence led to the seizure of a 9mm handgun, a large sum of United States currency, as well as a large quantity of cocaine and marijuana, authorities said.

During the course of the investigation, over seven kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of over one-quarter of a million dollars were seized by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and members of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the New Jersey Drug Enforcement Administration, which are connected to Rios, Noble-Canales and their organization.

Over $180,000.00 in currency and bank accounts was also seized.

The following is a list of individuals arrested and their respective charges and bails:

• Carlos Rios, age 25, of Union City, New Jersey, was charged with being a leader of a narcotics trafficking tetwork (first degree); conspiracy to distribute cocaine, greater than 5 ounces (second degree); conspiracy to commit Financial Facilitation (second degree); and financial facilitation (second degree). Bail was set at $750,000.00 cash only.
• Johanny Olmedo, age 58, of Brooklyn, New York, was charged with being a leader of a narcotics trafficking network (first degree); conspiracy to distribute cocaine, greater than 5 ounces (second degree); conspiracy to commit Financial Facilitation (second degree); and financial facilitation (second degree). Bail was set at $750,000.00 cash only.
• Ricky Cedeno, age 24, of Union City, New Jersey, was charged with conspiracy to commit financial facilitation (second degree); conspiracy to distribute cocaine, greater than 5 ounces (second degree); and Financial Facilitation (second degree). Bail was set at $250,000.00 cash or bond.
• Victor Noble-Canales, age 54, of Calle Cruz, San Juan, Puerto Rico, was charged with being a leader of a narcotics trafficking network (first degree); conspiracy to distribute cocaine, greater than 5 ounces (second degree); financial facilitation (second degree); and conspiracy to commit financial facilitation (second degree). Bail was set at $1,000,000.00 cash only.
• Carlos Mendoza-Rivera, age 25, of Union City, New Jersey, was charged with conspiracy to commit Financial Facilitation (second degree); conspiracy to distribute cocaine, greater than 5 ounces (second degree); and Financial Facilitation (second degree). Bail was set at $125,000.00 cash or bond.
• Josephine Pacheco, age 27, of Brandon, Florida, was charged with conspiracy to commit Financial Facilitation (second degree); Conspiracy to distribute cocaine, greater than 5 ounces (second degree); and Financial Facilitation (second degree). Bail was set at $250,000.00 cash or bond. 3
• (removed)
• Jesus Rosario, age 24, of Union City, New Jersey, was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, greater than ½ ounce but less than five ounces (second degree); conspiracy to commit Financial Facilitation (second degree); and Financial Facilitation (second degree). Bail was set at $150,000.00 cash or bond.
• Xavier Pena, age 28, of Bronx, New York, was charged with financial facilitation (second degree); conspiracy to commit Financial Facilitation (second degree); and conspiracy to distribute CDS in a quantity greater than 5 ounces (second degree). Bail was set at $250,000.00 cash or bond.
• Michael Carrasco, age 25 of Union City, New Jersey, was charged with Conspiracy to distribute cocaine in an aggregate quantity greater than five ounces (second degree). Bail was set at $150,000.00 cash or bond.
• Wilfredo Montanez, age 34, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, greater than ½ ounce, but less than 5 ounces (second degree); Conspiracy to commit Financial Facilitation (second degree); and Financial Facilitation (second degree). Bail was set at $125,000.00 cash or bond.
• Jose Lopez, age 28, of Union City, New Jersey, was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, greater than 5 ounces (second degree); onspiracy to commit Financial Facilitation (second degree); and Financial Facilitation (second degree). Bail was set at $150,000.00 cash or bond.
• Jake Rivera, age 28, of Union City, New Jersey, was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, greater than 5 ounces (second degree); conspiracy to commit Financial Facilitation (second degree); and financial facilitation (second degree). Bail was set at $200,000.00.