Busted: Man Sold Guns and ‘Pink Cocaine’ in Manhattan, Officials Say

NEW YORK CITY – A New Jersey man was arrested on Thursday, following a long-term undercover investigation that revealed his involvement in selling guns, cocaine, and “pink cocaine” in multiple locations across Manhattan, according to the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York.

Rodrigo Zapata, a resident of Union City, N.J., faces numerous charges, including criminal possession and sale of controlled substances and firearms.

Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan announced the charges after Zapata’s arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, where his bail was set at $250,000 cash or $750,000 bond.

Zapata conducted drug and gun sales all over Manhattan, including on the Upper West Side, and in Greenwich Village, Hell’s Kitchen, and Harlem, authorities said.

Between April and September 2024, Zapata is accused of meeting with an undercover officer on nine occasions, selling eight guns and over a pound of cocaine and “pink cocaine,” a substance laced with ketamine and MDMA, also known as “tusi.”

One major buy took place on the Upper West Side.

On June 4, Zapata sold three guns to an undercover agent – a Glock 9mm pistol, a Glock .40 caliber pistol, and a Taurus .357 revolver, plus ammunition – for $4,800 cash, in front of 101 Central Park West, near 71st Street.

Other significant transactions took place on Christopher Street near Greenwich Village’s PATH station, on 10th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen, and on 125th Street in Harlem.

Zapata communicated via WhatsApp to arrange the sales, and enjoyed "strolling" in Central Park and Soho after the deals.

“With the recent increase in the distribution of ‘pink cocaine’ in New York, the [Drug Enforcement Administration] and our law enforcement partners have begun targeting those individuals responsible for sale of this illicit drug,” said DEA Special Agent Frank A. Tarentino III.

“This investigation, which led to the arrest of Rodrigo Hurtado Zapata, resulted in the seizure of numerous firearms, cocaine, and ‘pink cocaine’; a synthetic phenylethylamine, similar to effects of LSD, that many street level dealers often mix with other dangerous drugs and substances like MDMA, ketamine, caffeine, and/or mescaline. This investigation also revealed the lengths these individuals go through to avoid getting caught. I commend our DEA team and partners for their diligent work in removing these dangerous individuals, like Mr. Zapata, from our streets.”