'Mexzzarella' Drug Bust Gets Rockland Assist

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Agents and officers from the DEA, NYPD, New York State Police and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office recovered more than 100 pounds of suspected cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone from a pizzeria in the Bronx last week.

The drugs seized at Mexzzarella Pizza carried an estimated street value of $4 million.

"This drug trafficking organization was cooking up more than pizza in the Bronx," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. "The large stash of cocaine found in the basement of Mexzzarella Pizza is very significant because it had the potential to supply drug networks throughout the Northeast."

The storefront was advertised as an “inexpensive” Mexican pizza spot.

Three men were arrested Oct. 19 during a surveillance operation. Agents and officers recovered 100 vials of suspected crack cocaine and a yellow powdery substance on the ground floor. The vials were stored near the pizza counter for convenient sales or to provide samples to the customers.

They also found 42 kilograms of suspected cocaine, one kilogram of heroin/fentanyl, 1,000 glassine envelopes containing suspected oxycodone and fentanyl, large rocks of cocaine, a kilo press, and approximately $40,000 in the basement.

"Since taking office in 2020, I have directed my Drug Task Force to conduct proactive investigations with state and federal agencies to combat those who sell poison to our residents," Rockland DA Thomas Walsh said. "I commend the hard work of all those law enforcement officials who conducted the joint investigation."

Arrested were Zulema Cardenas Espinoza of New York City, Alexander Samboy of Berlin, Connecticut, and Gaudencio Rosendo Perez of NYC. They all face charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance, and Perez was also charged with operating as a major trafficker.