Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York | Department of Justice
Federal authorities announced on Mar. 25 the unsealing of an indictment charging Aristides Cabrera, also known as "Buddha," with drug crimes that resulted in the death of a 12-year-old child in the Bronx on June 28, 2022. Cabrera is also accused of using and possessing firearms in connection with his alleged drug trafficking activities. He was brought into federal custody from New York State custody, where he had been serving sentences for other firearm and drug offenses.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about the dangers posed by fentanyl and similar drugs, especially when children are exposed to them inside homes. Authorities say Cabrera distributed heroin, fentanyl, and para-fluorofentanyl throughout the Bronx over several years.
"As alleged, Aristides Cabrera was an armed drug dealer who pumped deadly drugs into the Bronx for years," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. "The havoc that his alleged drug trafficking wrought did not stop at his own doorstep; it resulted in the tragic death of a vulnerable 12-year-old boy in Cabrera’s own home. But even the boy’s death did not stop Cabrera from allegedly continuing to deal drugs, exposing others to the same life-threatening poison that claimed the life of an innocent child. Fentanyl kills. It kills children. If you deal fentanyl, you are dealing death. The women and men of the SDNY, the DEA, the NYPD and all our New York law enforcement partners will hold dealers of death accountable."
DEA Special Agent Farhana Islam said: "Weapons, drugs, and violence are too often the hallmarks of drug trafficking organizations operating in our communities... Today’s indictment of Aristides Cabera underscores that deadly reality—linking narcotics distribution, firearms, and the devastating loss of a 12-year-old child to fentanyl poisoning... No family should have to endure the pain of losing a child to this poison and the DEA New York Enforcement Division remains vigilant and unwavering in our mission to target these individuals and ensure justice is delivered."
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch added: "Aristedes Cabrera showed a callous disregard for human life, allegedly selling fentanyl in a home where a 12-year-old boy was exposed to the drugs that killed him... This case is a devastating example of the danger fentanyl poses, especially when it is brought into a home where children are present... I thank NYPD officers whose undercover work helped build this case and U.S. Attorney’s Office for their partnership."
Authorities allege that between November 2017 through January 2024 Cabrera sold large quantities of heroin- and fentanyl-laced substances—including transactions captured on covert video—and earned up to $10,000 per week at his peak operation levels.
Cabrera faces charges including conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death (which carries mandatory minimum sentences), distribution resulting in death (also carrying mandatory minimums), as well as firearms use related charges—all potentially leading up to life imprisonment if convicted.
U.S. Attorney Clayton praised both local police work by NYPD officers as well as federal partnerships with DEA agents during this investigation.
Officials remind that all charges remain allegations unless or until proven guilty.
