Officials ID 7 Charged in Long Island Heroin Bust

Officials on Thursday identified seven of nine people charged in a multi-million dollar illegal drug pipeline that ran directly from Mexico to New York City and Long Island.

The nine people were indicted in recent weeks for trafficking heroin, cocaine, MDMA, and anabolic steroids into New York and sold via Craigslist, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s office.

Ajay Carter, also known as Jose Zambrano, 38, and Miguel Tormo, 42, both of Astoria, face grand jury charges of first- and third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Carter faces additional charges of first- and third- degree of criminal sale of a controlled substance.

Judge Teresa Corrigan set bail for both Carter and Tormo at $5 million. Carter faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the top charge while Tormo faces 20 years if convicted.

Cesar Romero-Astudillo, 24, of the Bronx, was charged with second-degree conspiracy, operating as a major trafficker, first- and third- degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and first-degree attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Luis Alberto Mendoza Rosas, 34, of the Bronx, Carlos Reyes, 39, of the Bronx, Santiago Juela, 33, of Brooklyn, Vincent Belmontes, 24, of Riverside, Calif., were charged with second-degree conspiracy and first- and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Two other unnamed defendants from California and Mexico were charged with second-degree conspiracy, first- degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and first- and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. They have not yet been arraigned.

In summer of 2013, investigators discovered Carter and Tormo had partnered to sell heroin in the New York area, officials said. Carter sold cocaine and MDMA on Craigslist while Tormo met with others to buy drugs, the DA said. Undercover officers bought a total of one pound of heroin in four transactions from Carter and Tormo in Great Neck and Manhasset, officials said.

Romero-Astudillo and Mendoza Roses worked with the two unnamed defendants to possibly smuggle heroin into the area in a car, the DA said. Investigators believe Romero-Astudillo also delivered proceeds from narcotics sales to an auto body shop where their car was serviced and readied to head back to Mexico, they said.

The car was eventually found in September in New Jersey and had five kilograms of black tar heroin inside the engine compartment, the DA said.

“The abuse of heroin and opioids is an epidemic that affects not just Nassau County, but the entire nation,” Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said in a statement. “The Nassau County Police Department is working daily to take down dealers, stop the flow of drugs into our neighborhoods and catch those responsible for the death of our young people.”

“Our department is committed to protecting the public by getting heroin off our streets,” Acting Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter said. “By working with our partners in drug law enforcement, we have acted decisively to ensure that those who bring this destructive drug into our communities will be brought to justice.”

The investigation was initiated by the Nassau DA’s office and conducted jointly with the Nassau County Police Department, the Special Narcotics Prosecutor of New York City, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s NY Drug Enforcement Task Force, which consists of the DEA, NYPD and New York State Police.

Photo: Officials at a press conference Thursday. Credit: NCDA

See mugshots of the seven men named Thursday here

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