Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York | Department of Justice
Six individuals have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute narcotics after law enforcement officials raided a Bronx apartment on September 9, 2025. According to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, the six defendants—Jesus Javier Brito Rivera, Jose Alexis De La Cruz Mora, Jose Antonio De La Cruz Mora, Dany Rivera Sanchez, Joan Alberto Toribio Tavarez, and Freddys Rivera Quezada—were apprehended while in the process of manufacturing and packaging more than eight kilograms of fentanyl powder into thousands of individual packages.
Authorities allege that records found at the scene indicate a year-long operation that resulted in millions of dollars’ worth of fentanyl being prepared for distribution. All six defendants are citizens of the Dominican Republic who were present in the United States without legal status; one had previously been deported following a conviction for another drug distribution offense.
“As alleged, these defendants were caught in the act of packaging and preparing to distribute enough fentanyl to potentially amount to four million deadly doses,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “At the time our law enforcement partners raided this fentanyl mill, fentanyl glassines were drying in the kitchen oven, and the defendants were gathered around individual workstations. New Yorkers want these mills destroyed and their operators off the streets. We and our law enforcement partners are committed to that mission.”
Frank A. Tarentino, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New York Field Division, commented on law enforcement’s efforts: “Once again, the DEA and our law enforcement partners successfully shut down a fentanyl mill, resulting in the arrests of six illegal, alleged criminal drug traffickers, and the removal of approximately eight kilograms of fentanyl powder from an apartment building in the Bronx. As we have seen time and again, the Bronx is often exploited by drug trafficking organizations as a hub to transport and distribute their illicit and dangerous narcotics throughout the Northeast corridor of the United States. This operation eliminated their distribution network and their ability to flood our streets with poison. The DEA remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting our communities and safeguarding our nation.”
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch also addressed public safety concerns: “These defendants allegedly turned a Bronx apartment into a full-scale drug den, pumping out thousands of packages of illicit fentanyl for profit. We know how dangerous even a trace amount of fentanyl is, but this staggering amount would have put countless New Yorkers in great danger. The NYPD will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and dismantle dangerous operations like this. I am grateful to the NYPD investigators, the DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their relentless work to shut this network down and ensure these criminals are brought to justice.”
The criminal complaint details what officers discovered inside: four workstations set up for mixing and packaging suspected fentanyl powder; tables covered with individually stamped glassines both filled but unsealed as well as fully wrapped packages; plastic bags containing white powder; boxes holding grinders filled with powder; scales; various packaging materials; colanders; markers; rubber bands; MetroCards used during processing; hundreds more bundled glassines stored nearby; stamps used for marking different batches drying inside an oven; plus drawers containing further stamping tools.
All six men face charges carrying maximum sentences of life imprisonment if convicted on either count: conspiracy or actual distribution of narcotics.
Jay Clayton praised collaborative investigative efforts among agencies including DEA’s New York Field Division [[https://www.dea.gov/locations/new-york]], NYPD [[https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/index.page]], New York State Police [[https://troopers.ny.gov/]], Essex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Narcotics [[https://www.njoag.gov/about/divisions-and-offices/division-of-criminal-justice-home/bureaus-and-units/organized-crime-bureau/essex-county-narcotics-task-force/]], as well as support from colleagues at U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of New Jersey [[https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj]].
The case is assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan T. Nees from SDNY's Narcotics Unit.
Authorities remind that charges outlined remain allegations until proven otherwise.
