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Breaking Bad, Lower Manhattan-Style

The two duffle bags that narcotics agents observed in plain view when they pulled over a black SUV on Battery Place.

The strange, gravitational tug that Lower Manhattan exerts on narcotics traffickers appears to continue unabated. At approximately 9am on the morning of Monday, September 16, two men driving a black Chevrolet Tahoe with Pennsylvania license plates were pulled over at the intersection of Battery Place and West Street by an unmarked police car.

The driver and his passenger, Fernando Penaloza-Reyes and Raul Cruz-Torres, may have briefly hoped the flashing red lights in their rearview mirror were an indication that they were about to receive a traffic ticket. But this possibility vanished when the men who had pulled them over turned out not to be New York City police officers. Instead, they were federal agents with the U.S Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), who noted two large duffle bags sitting in plain view on the back seat of the Tahoe.

Nor was this a random stop. The agents were part of a task force headed up by the New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor, who was conducting a long-term investigation into interstate drug trafficking and had been surveilling Mr. Penaloza-Reyes and Mr. Cruz-Torres for many days.

The DEA agents immediately requested that colleagues back at their office apply for a warrant that would authorize a search of the car, including the black duffle bags. This process took almost seven hours, during which time Mr. Penaloza-Reyes and Mr. Cruz-Torres were detained at the scene. Finally, a few minutes after 3:30pm, the agents received the court order they had requested, and opened the duffle bags.

Once the agents had obtained a search warrant, the satchels turned out to contain 110 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, with a street value of more than $600,000.

The satchels turned out to contain 50 vacuum sealed packages of a white rocky substance that tests confirmed to be crystal methamphetamine, 110 pounds of it, with a street value of more than $600,000. This quantity ranks the September 16 seizure among the largest ever by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor.

Mr. Penaloza-Reyes and Mr. Cruz-Torres were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the second degree, which is categorized as a class A-II felony under New York State law. After being arraigned, they were released, because under New York law, possession of methamphetamine (regardless of the quantity) is not a bail-eligible offense. If convicted, the two men face up to life in prison without the possibility of parole, and a minimum sentence of three to eight years of incarceration.

Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said, “methamphetamine, sometimes mixed with fentanyl, is claiming an increasing number of lives in our state and nation. Preventing more than 100 pounds of the drug from reaching our streets will save precious lives and prevent vulnerable communities from experiencing its destructive impact.”

The September 16 arrest appears to be part of a pattern in which street-level drug activity remains relatively rare (along with crime of any kind) at the southern tip of Manhattan, but the community seems to be emerging as a destination for major traffickers bringing large narcotics shipments to New York for eventual transfer to lower-level distributors. This may be because the absence of a retail narcotics trade on local sidewalks, which draws constant attention from law enforcement, makes such traffickers feel relatively comfortable that they needn’t fear being caught up in the kind of drug sweeps that occur frequently, for example, in Washington Square Park. Similarly, the comparative absence of violent street crime in Lower Manhattan means that stop-and-frisk searches by police remain rare in this community.

In December 2022, agents working for the Special Narcotics Prosecutor converged on the entrance of the AC New York Hotel by Marriott, at 151 Maiden Lane (near South Street). There, they approached 24-year-old David Carranza, freshly arrived from Pixley, California, who was loading a box into the back of a rented vehicle. A search determined that this box contained 50,000 fentanyl pills, worth more than $1 million.

And the arrest of Mr. Carranza was not the first time that the AC New York Hotel by Marriott has been the venue for a major drug seizure. In July 2022, DEA agents conducting undercover surveillance outside the hotel nabbed a team of alleged traffickers who were arrested with total of more than 140 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, worth more than $1.2 million.

Matthew Fenton

Pearl Street Shelter Delayed

Lower Manhattan's Unhoused Population Said to be 400

The controversial plan for a safe haven shelter at 320 Pearl Street has been delayed until the first quarter of next year, “at the earliest,” according to a presentation given by officials from the administration of Mayor Eric Adams at a September 18 meeting of the Quality of Life Committee of Community Board 1. Read more...

Letter

Re: ‘Forget All Your Troubles, Forget All Your Cares...’, September 24, 2024

To the editor,

Thank you so much for the support the Broadsheet gave to the Block Party from early planning to the recap in your recent article. Once your first article announcing the Block Party was published, a group of wonderful neighbors stepped up to join the Steering Committee and give the gift of the Block Party to our community. I am so grateful to this team for bringing their talents, vision, time and effort to revive our cherished tradition so it reflects the present community. They made the party the success it was!

The whole committee worked together on the overall vision and shared ideas for every aspect of the party. Christina Craig was our amazing Block Party coordinator for all committees. Also, with her team of Jacky Godman, Julie O’Donnell, Kate Hines, Arpana Agneshwar, they created a superb selection of local talent as well as interesting and fun activities that made the event so special. Shonali Gupta, our vendor captain, gathered a wonderful array of businesses, community organizations, schools and resident artisans. Emily Fuhrman and Dan Ambrosio lined up all the delicious food vendors that everyone enjoyed. Mary Ann Fastook and Shawei Wang offered great ideas and stepped in wherever needed. Anna Wheeler created all the social media posts and facilitated the volunteer recruiting and organizing. This outstanding group of neighbors along with co-chair Craig Hudon, Maril Ortiz and the whole BPCA crew ensured that this event will live on.

As we close the books on this year’s event, I want to express sincere thanks to the Block Party committee and to all the vendors, restaurants, schools, performers and our fantastic volunteers! And lastly, the event would not be possible without the sponsorship, partnership and support from the Battery Park City Authority.

Rosalie Joseph

Co-chair, Battery Park City Block Party

DOWNTOWN CALENDAR

Thursday, September 26

8am-3pm

Bowling Green Greenmarket

Foot of Broadway

10am-6pm

Multi-Family Yard Sale

55 Fulton Street, next to Key Food

Bric-a-brac, collectibles, jewelry, coins, bling-bling and more.

10:30am

Climate Week: Nature Walk

Explore Teardrop Park through a naturalist’s lens. Learn about the animals and plants that call the park home. Free.

1pm-3pm

Craft Studio

200 Rector Place

Craft session. Free.

5:30pm

Strings-on-Hudson: The Brain Cloud

Belvedere Plaza

The Brain Cloud combines ragtime and swing, blues, early country, western cowboy songs, Appalachian fiddling, and Tin Pan Alley standards into a cohesive and undeniably toe-tapping jam. Free.

6pm

Climate Art Panel

Tall Ship Wavertree

Panel discussion about how art helps translate difficult climate concepts for the general public and spurs action. Free.

6pm-8:30pm

Investigative Journalism in the Age of Streaming

60 Pine Street

Robert Kolker and Jessica Pressler will discuss how streaming services are reshaping journalism and why we are fascinated by dark topics. Free.

6:30pm

Us Fools

McNally Jackson, 4 Fulton Street

Nora Lange presents Us Fools, in conversation with David Wallace-Wells. A tragicomic, intimate American story of two precocious sisters coming of age during the Midwestern farm crisis of the 1980s.

7pm

Blues Traveler

Pier 17 Rooftop

Outdoor concert. See website for ticket price.

Friday, September 27

8:30am

Tai Chi

Esplanade Plaza

Improve balance, strength and focus through gentle exercises. Free.

10am-6pm

Multi-Family Yard Sale

55 Fulton Street, next to Key Food

Bric-a-brac, collectibles, jewelry, coins, bling-bling and more.

3pm-5pm

Climate Week: Children's Garden Open Hours

Rockefeller Park

BPCA naturalists will be on hand to answer questions and make discoveries about the creatures that grow, crawl, hop, and fly through the garden. Free.

6pm

Mid-Autumn Comedy Gathering

China Institute, 100 Washington Street

Chinese-language stand-up comedy. $28.

7:30pm

Classic Albums Live: Fleetwood Mac's Rumors

Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 190 West Street

Founded in 2003, and celebrating its 20th anniversary, Classic Albums Live recreates classic rock albums in their entirety. This concert features the original Rumours album followed by a set of Fleetwood Mac classic hits. $50.

The Broadsheet Inc.

www.eBroadsheet.com

editor@ebroadsheet.com