Fentanyl Packaging Operation Busted in Bronx Apartment Where Toddler Was Living

The New York Special Narcotics Prosecutor's office announced Friday the arrest of three people, including a woman, for allegedly running a fentanyl packaging and distribution operation inside a ground-floor apartment at 755 East 216th Street in the Williamsbridge section of the Bronx. Investigators executed a search warrant around 1:24 p.m. on Tuesday as part of a broader trafficking investigation involving agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the NYPD. They seized approximately two kilograms — about four pounds — of suspected fentanyl mixtures, with a street value estimated above half a million dollars. The two-year-old son of one of the suspects was inside the apartment at the time of the arrests; authorities said a total of five children under the age of 15 were believed to be living in the residence. The building sits across the street from a daycare center and a playground. All three suspects were taken into custody; charges and arraignment details were being processed. The case was referred to as a stark example of the dangers posed by fentanyl operations hidden in residential buildings with children present.