Local police working with federal agents arrested ten alleged members of a Bronx gang this week, accusing the perpetrators of shipping $22 million worth of marijuana from California to New York.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District, the alleged gang members sent over 6,600 pounds of pot from California to residences, businesses, and eventually stash houses in the city and in New Rochelle. Officials called the venture “Operation Green Giant,” probably because marijuana is green, and 6,600 pounds is a large amount of the plant, which is legal in a number of states.
Agents with the DEA, IRS, and U.S. Homeland Security worked in tandem with the NYPD to make the busts on Wednesday and Thursday, yielding three handguns, a sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, cash, and cocaine, in addition to hundreds of pounds of marijuana.
“As alleged, these defendants conspired to ship millions of dollars’ worth of drugs across the country for eventual sale in New York City,” acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said in a statement yesterday. “Searches of apartments where the defendants allegedly resided uncovered guns and ammunition, multiple kilograms of cocaine, hundreds of pounds of marijuana, and thousands of dollars in cash.”
Officials say the alleged gang members started running the operation in March 2016. The defendants have been charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and use of firearms in furtherance of narcotics trafficking. The top charge could net the accused life in prison, if convicted.
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