A fentanyl packaging mill operating inside a Bronx apartment building was dismantled, leading to six arrests and the seizure of over $1 million worth of deadly drugs.
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Photo by Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor (SNP)
By Staff Reporter
Bronx Voice
January 14, 2026
BRONX, N.Y. — A large-scale fentanyl packaging mill operating out of a residential apartment building in the Bronx has been dismantled, leading to the arrest of six men and the seizure of more than 13 pounds of fentanyl, according to New York law enforcement officials.
Authorities say the operation was hidden inside an apartment at 1505 Grand Concourse, where investigators recovered over six kilograms of fentanyl, tens of thousands of dosage-sized glassine envelopes, and additional quantities of cocaine. The drugs are estimated to have a street value exceeding $1 million, making it one of the more significant fentanyl seizures in New York City this year.
Six Men Arrested in Bronx Fentanyl Drug Bust
The arrests were announced jointly by New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, DEA Task Force Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Roberts, NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James.
The defendants — Wilson Monegro Rodriguez, Juan Tavarez, Angel Costillo, Yalxon Antonio, Vlatimir Diaz, and Christopher Bello Tavarez — were taken into custody Thursday night after agents executed a court-authorized search warrant inside Apartment 3B of the building.
All six were arraigned over the weekend in Manhattan Criminal Court and are charged in two criminal complaints with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and Third Degree.
Inside the Bronx Apartment Turned Fentanyl Packaging Hub
Investigators say the apartment had been converted into a full-scale fentanyl packaging and distribution mill, putting residents of the 88-unit building — and the surrounding community — at serious risk.
During the search, agents found:
- Approximately 50,000 filled glassine envelopes ready for street-level distribution
- Grinders, strainers, surgical masks, and narcotics-mixing equipment
- A paper shredder coated in white powder, commonly used to process narcotics
- Bulk bricks of fentanyl and cocaine
- More than $22,000 in cash hidden throughout the apartment
Authorities estimate the packaged fentanyl alone could have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal street sales.
Eight-Month DEA Task Force Investigation Led to Arrests
The investigation was conducted by members of the DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force (NYDETF) Group T-22, with assistance from the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Investigators Unit, the NYPD, and the New York State Police.
Beginning in May 2025, investigators placed the building under physical and electronic surveillance. Over several months, they observed suspected narcotics workers entering and exiting the apartment with equipment linked to drug packaging. Trash bags containing surgical masks and fentanyl-processing materials were frequently removed from the building.
In August 2025, agents observed individuals carrying a box believed to contain a paper shredder, a tool often used to mix fentanyl powders. Surveillance intensified in December, prompting authorities to seek and obtain a search warrant.
Officials Warn of Community Danger Posed by Fentanyl Mills
“This was a large-scale fentanyl packaging operation run out of a residential building,” said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, who noted that fentanyl can be lethal in even microscopic amounts.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said the defendants “allegedly planned to profit off poisoning our neighbors,” emphasizing that shutting down the operation made the Bronx safer.
DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher Roberts warned that using apartment buildings as drug mills puts entire communities at risk, while NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch called the seizure “an enormous volume of poison that will never reach New Yorkers.”
DEA Lab Testing Pending
More than six kilograms of narcotics were seized in total. Officials said DEA laboratory analysis is still pending to confirm the exact composition and potency of the drugs recovered.
Law enforcement leaders credited the success of the operation to close coordination among federal, state, and local agencies, reaffirming their commitment to combating fentanyl trafficking across New York City.
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