Man Arrested With 6 Kilos Of Joe Biden, Cat-Stamped Cocaine: DEA

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — An investigation by a Westchester County DEA task force led to a major cocaine bust and uncovered a surprising marketing effort on the part of drug traffickers.

Reynaldo Almonte has been charged in connection with the seizure of approximately 6 kilograms of cocaine and more than $50,000 cash from his burgundy Nissan sports car, according to an indictment filed by the NYC Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor.

Almonte was arrested after the Westchester County-based DEA task force tracked his car from Queens to the Bronx on November 28. The charges are the result of a short-term investigation conducted by DEA New York Division’s Westchester Resident Office (WRO), Group D-42, which is composed of agents and officers with the DEA, the Westchester County Police Department, the Yonkers Police Department, the New Rochelle Police Department, the Mt. Vernon Police Department, the White Plains Police Department, the Port Chester Police Department and the Harrison Police Department.

"Joint investigations with federal and local partners are one of the most effective tools we can use to take illegal narcotics off our streets," Westchester County Police Commissioner Terrance Raynor said. "By sharing resources and working collaboratively, we can make our communities safer for all."

On November 28, shortly before 6:30 p.m., members of DEA WRO Group D-42 were conducting surveillance near the intersection of Seneca Avenue and George Street in Ridgewood,
Queens and spotted Almonte enter the driver's seat of the burgundy Nissan carrying what appeared to be a weighed shopping bag, agents said. The car had a New Jersey license plate registered in Almonte’s name, police said.

Agents and officers report watching as Almonte reached into the rear of the Nissan and appeared to be moving objects around.

Members of Group D-42 then followed as Almonte drove off and traveled to the vicinity of East 178th Street and Daly Avenue in the West Farms neighborhood of the Bronx, where he double-parked at approximately 7:45 p.m. Task force agents and officers said they approached the car, finding Almonte in the driver's seat, and a bag on the floor in the front passenger area. The bag contained over $50,000 cash.

Almonte and his vehicle were taken to DEA New York Division’s Westchester Resident Office where a K-9 unit searched Almonte’s vehicle and found a hidden trap compartment in the rear passenger cabin. Within the hidden trap, were six kilogram-sized packages wrapped in plastic, along with approximately $7,000 cash, officials said.

One of the packages bore a photo of President Joe Biden. Labels on other packages included a photo of a cat and the letters "AMG." Preliminary field-testing indicated the packages contained cocaine. The DEA estimates the street value of the cocaine to be approximately $300,000.

Almonte was released on a $300,000 partially secured bail bond on December 8. Terms of the bail required that 10 percent of the total bail bond amount be posted.

"Cocaine continues to be a significant factor in overdose deaths in New York City," said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan. "Cocaine has always posed significant health risks, but it is now commonly mixed with fentanyl, methamphetamine and other deadly substances, increasing risks to users. Taking thirteen pounds of cocaine off of our streets will save precious lives."

Bridget G. Brennan, NYC’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division, and Terrance Raynor, Westchester County Police Commissioner, announced the arrest and indictment Wednesday as Almonte appeared for arraignment in Manhattan Supreme Court. The indictment contains charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first and third degrees.

"Similar to business marketing, drug traffickers brand their deadly product in various ways using hot topic photos, logos, or stamps referencing pop culture and current events," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. "These six kilograms would be repackaged into thousands of baggies sold on our New York City streets. DEA saves lives every single day with seizures like this which prevented traffickers from mixing and selling a deadly fentanyl and cocaine cocktail."