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$4M in Drugs Recovered from Pizza Shop Across from School - DEA Says

Law enforcement seized $4 Million worth of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin and more from a Bronx pizza shop. -Photo by DEA

By Dan Gesslein 

Bronx Voice 

October 24, 2023 

BRONX - A Bronx pizza shop was delivering more than just pies. Feds seized almost $4 million dollars worth of drugs including cocaine and fentanyl when they raided the Soundview slice shop that was across the street from a school. 

Federal law enforcement officers and prosecutors announced the arrest of three people in connection with Mexzzarella Pizza on Soundview Avenue across from PS 69. Authorities said they observed the defendants coming and going with large heavy bags. 

After such a pickup, cops made a car stop of one of the defendants which led to the seizure of five kilos of cocaine. This then led to a search of the pizza shop where cops and DEA officers recovered 42 kilos of 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 from the basement. They also recovered 100 vials of suspected crack cocaine. Prosecutors said the crack vials were stored near the counter for easy sales or to provide samples to customers. 

“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. 

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“Cocaine is being laced with fentanyl, which is contributing to poisonings and unnecessary deaths in New York and across the country,” Tarentino said. “ As evident in this investigation, DEA and our law enforcement partners are continuously working together to identify and arrest drug traffickers responsible for inflicting the most harm on our communities.”  

During a press conference for the multi-agency investigation, prosecutors announced the arrests of Gaudencio Rosendo Perez, Zulema Cardenas Espinoza and Alexander Samboy. Each was charged with operating as a major trafficker and criminal posession of a controlled substance in the first and third degrees. 

Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said, “This highly profitable Bronx based narcotics operation appeared to operate as a wholesaler and distributor of cocaine and fentanyl laced products and was advertised as an ‘inexpensive’ Mexican pizza spot. Investigators recovered cocaine, crack and fentanyl in bags, vials and kilo sized portions from Mexzzarella in the Soundview section. Our office will continue to work with our federal, state and local enforcement partners to stem the distribution of lethal drugs that claimed the lives of a record high number of people in our city last year.”

NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said, “This successful narcotics investigation resulted in the shutting down of a major drug trafficking organization in the Bronx and is indicative of how the NYPD and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to identify and arrest anyone who endangers our communities in this way. We will keep using our collective resources to aggressively pursue these criminals to the fullest extent of the law.”

The investigation was conducted by following an investigation by DEA Group D-43, along with New York City Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, NYPD, NYSP, and Rockland County District Attorney’s Office.  

The investigation was also assisted by the New York/New Jersey Port Authority Police Department.