New York Busts Massive Ghost Gun and Narcotics Ring
New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced a massive bust, taking down a ghost gun and narcotics trafficking ring in the New York City area.
According to a press release from New York State Attorney General Letitia James' office, the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force took down a firearm and drug trafficking operation that was illegally selling ghost guns and assault rifles.
The takedown was part of a 16-month investigation between the Office of the Attorney General's Organized Crime Task Force and the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force.
It resulted in 123-count indictment charges against 29-year-old Eduardo Hernandez of Jamaica, New York, 46-year-old Jose Garcia of Westfield, Massachusetts, and 30-year-old Euclides Castillo of Davenport, Florida, including charges for trafficking 12 ghost guns among 19 firearms total, six high-capacity magazines, and over 560 grams of cocaine with a street value of approximately $25,000.
New York State Attorney General James said "Guns are one the greatest threats to public safety, and we must do all we can to stop the flor of these weapons into our communities. Untraceable ghost guns present a new and growing risk to our safety, but this takedown makes clear that we will not allow anyone to make a business selling ghost guns and assault rifles in our state."
According to the press release, Hernandez, Castillo and Garcia allegedly trafficked firearms from Massachusetts to New York, where they were sold at Hernandez's residence in Queens and at a location in Port Chester between March 2021 and July 2022.
Hernandez faces up to 25 years in prison for the criminal sale of a firearm and up to 20 years in prison for criminal sale of a controlled substance. Garcia faces up to 15 years in prison and Castillo faces up to seven years in prison.