Two men, including a Bronx resident, have been indicted for their alleged roles in operating a fentanyl and heroin packaging mill inside a Manhattan apartment, where law enforcement agents recovered thousands of glassine envelopes of lethal narcotics, powdered xylazine, cocaine, and drug packaging paraphernalia.
Authorities say Narciso Negrum, 45, of the Bronx, and Jose Castillo, 44, of Manhattan, were arraigned in New York County Supreme Court following a long-term investigation led by the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force (NYDETF) Group T-12. The indictment charges the pair with top narcotics offenses, including Criminal Sale and Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, and Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree.
A third man, Jose Lopez Paulino, 42, of Bridgeport, Conn., faces related charges following his arrest during the same operation.
The narcotics packaging mill was located inside an apartment at 4863 Broadway, in the Inwood section of Manhattan, where agents executed a court-authorized search in the early morning hours of Jan. 25. Inside, they found more than 8,000 glassine envelopes containing fentanyl mixtures, over a pound and a half of powdered xylazine, and three bottles of veterinary-grade xylazine. Agents also recovered boxes of Narcan, the overdose reversal drug — one of which was already empty.
“The recovery of an empty box of Narcan in this fentanyl mill, located in a residential apartment, eliminates any question about the defendants’ knowledge of the life-threatening danger posed by the white powders they were mixing and packaging,” said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan.
Law enforcement officials said the apartment contained all the materials needed to brand and distribute drugs, including stamps labeled “Toy Story” and “Mayo.” Cabinets throughout the unit were packed with thousands of empty glassines.
DEA lab analysis confirmed the presence of fentanyl, heroin, tramadol, xylazine, and additional chemicals. Authorities note that xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is particularly deadly because it does not respond to Narcan — posing a growing threat amid rising overdose deaths.
On Jan. 24, agents observed Negrum leaving the apartment with a heavy bag, which was later handed off to Lopez Paulino and stashed in an Acura MDX. Investigators stopped the vehicle and found a kilogram of narcotics concealed in a trap compartment. The powder was found to contain cocaine, xylazine, lidocaine, and BTMPS, an industrial chemical.
The bust is the result of coordinated efforts between the DEA’s New York Division, the NYPD, the New York State Police, and the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, with support from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
“These drug traffickers were preparing to flood New York City with deadly poison — fentanyl and xylazine packaged for profit — without regard for the lives it would cost,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
