A massive interstate cannabis smuggling operation has been dismantled following the seizure of more than 2,800 pounds of illegal marijuana products and the arrest of six individuals tied to a weekly drug pipeline from California to Queens.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the takedown Friday, revealing that unlicensed cannabis was transported via tractor-trailer and offloaded into two storage units in Maspeth and Long Island City. The operation was first flagged in April through intelligence surveillance. The product, valued at roughly $2.5 million, was split, repackaged, and redistributed across the borough.
Six suspects were arraigned Thursday on charges of criminal possession of cannabis in the first degree: Eduardo Lopez, 29; Courtney Ferguson, 40; Emerson Ramos Garcia, 24; Jose Carbajal Enamorado, 24; Erzhena Mitupova, 34; and Anna Migal, 47. They face up to seven years in prison if convicted. All six were ordered to return to court in September and October.
Law enforcement observed the group on July 30 moving boxes from a white Volvo tractor-trailer, registered in California with a Maine-plated trailer, into a storage facility on Borden Avenue. Investigators also followed a Dodge Ram believed to be transporting cannabis from the facility.
Search warrants executed later that day uncovered over 1,800 pounds of pre-packed THC flower, nearly 1,000 pounds of vape cartridges, hundreds of pre-rolled joints, and packaging equipment. None of the suspects or storage facilities had licenses from the New York State Office of Cannabis Management.
The multi-agency effort involved the NYPD, DEA, and the NYC Sheriff’s Office.
Key Points
- Six individuals were charged in connection with a weekly illegal cannabis pipeline from California to Queens
- Over 2,800 pounds of THC products were seized from trucks and storage units in Maspeth and Long Island City
- The street value of the unlicensed cannabis is estimated at $2.5 million
A coast-to-coast cannabis ring was stopped in its tracks with thousands of pounds of illegal weed pulled off Queens streets.