Drug Dealer Hid $10M Of Fentanyl In Fish, Prosecutors Say

THE BRONX, NY – Blocks of fentanyl with an estimated street value of $10 million were found wrapped in raw fish by detectives who pulled over a suspected drug trafficker in the Bronx, prosecutors said.

Nearly nine pounds of the drug were found wrapped in the fish inside Styrofoam coolers in the back seat of a car driven by suspect Johnny De Los Santos-Martinuez, according to Bridget Brennan, the city's special narcotics prosecutor.

A third block of the deadly synthetic drug was found in a vacuum-sealed package of what investigators said looked like chili.

Detectives with the NYPD's Queens Narcotics Major Case Squad arrested De Los Santos-Martinez on Feb. 1 at the intersection of Leland Avenue and Archer Street in Parkchester. They had been watching him as part of an investigation, according to Brennan's office.

On the back seat were two boxes, a spokeswoman for the office said.

"Inside both boxes were Styrofoam coolers," the spokeswoman said.

"The larger of the two coolers contained fish wrapped around two brick-shaped packages covered in green plastic, with a third brick-shaped package concealed in a vacuum-sealed package of what appeared to be chili.

"The second cooler contained one brick-shaped package similarly wrapped with green plastic and fish."

Brennan's office estimated the amount of fentanyl had a street value of $10 million and was enough to cause more than a million overdoses.

Fentanyl is increasingly being mixed into the black market drug supply in New York City and is frequently found in combination with heroin, cocaine and a variety of synthetic drugs, Brennan's office said.

De Los Santos-Martinez was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and his bail set at $150,000. He's due back in court on Feb 28.

Images via the Office Of the City's Special Narcotics Prosecutor.