Skip to main navigationSkip to News Headlines
Global Navigation
Office of The Attorney General
OAG Home
OAG Home Superintendent's Bio
Superintendent's Bio
NJSP Home
> NJSP Home  |  > News Releases
 
2012 New Jersey State Police News Releases NJSP Badge
     Archives  

NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE
OFFICIAL NEWS RELEASE

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Office of Public Information (609) 882-2000
Lt. Stephen Jones - ext. 6513
A/SFC Brian Polite - ext. 6514
A/Sgt Adam Grossman - ext. 6516

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 21, 2012

Bookmark and Share

NJSP and NY DEA Task Force Search of Quiet Neighborhood Home Uncovers Heroin Mill
and Millions in Drugs

Cliffside Park, NJ - New Jersey State Police Detectives assigned to the Drug Trafficking North Unit, in conjunction with the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force (NYDETF), on December 20th executed a search warrant at 423 Nelson Avenue, an upscale, residential neighborhood. As they were about to approach the home, Julio Cesar Mendoza, 34, of 574 161st Street, New York N.Y. walked outside and was arrested with two kilos of heroin secured around his waist. The kilos were shaped like thick insoles of shoes, possibly indicating a way they may have been smuggled into the country. A photo of similar drug packaging is provided by the US DEA and is attached below.

Inside, investigators found a fully operational Heroin production facility from which they seized approximately 16 more pounds of Heroin, some in the insole-type packaging. They also found distribution quantities of Crystal Methamphetamine and numerous items related to the processing and packaging of drugs. If broken down to individual packages, the street value of the narcotics seized is estimated to be $6,000,000. That much heroin could have generated up to 600,000 decks, or individual doses of the highly addictive drug to be sold on the streets of New Jersey and New York.

Mendoza is believed to be the primary operator of that drug operation. There were no other persons in the home at the time of the arrest and search. The facility in the home could have been operated with the help of other people.

"Every detective, agent and officer involved in this operation can be proud of the gift they have given to our region this holiday season. That is a lot of drugs that will never poison our residents, and the intelligence gathered will hopefully lead to further disruption of the drug trade," said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.

DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian R. Crowell stated, "The DEA Task Force and the New Jersey State Police found and dismantled a heroin mill containing enough heroin to produce hundreds of thousands of bags of heroin destined for the Tri-State area. Due to law enforcement’s efforts, nearly $6 million worth of heroin was found hidden in a house located in a quiet suburban community." SAC Crowell applauds the diligent work of the NJSP and the DEA’s NYDETF comprised of agents and detectives of the DEA, NYPD and NYSP

The cooperative investigation will continue to learn more about the source and destination of the drugs. Evidence seized during the search was taken to Totowa State Police Station to be processed, and then the State Police North Lab to be analyzed and eventually destroyed.

Mendoza was charged with Possession of CDS with the Intent to Distribute, Possession of CDS, Possession of CDS within 1000 feet of a Public School, Maintaining a Heroin Production Facility and Possession of CDS Paraphernalia. He was later lodged at the Bergen County Jail on $500,000 full cash bail.

The investigation is being prosecuted by the NJ Division of Criminal Justice.

Charges are mere accusations and all accused subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Photos below of Mendoza and drug packaging in the shape of shoe insoles.
Click images for larger view

# # #

Back | Top  
   
Contact Us | Privacy Notice | Legal Statement | Accessibility Statement spacer
NJ Home Logo
Divisional: NJSP Home | Contact NJSP | About NJSP | NJSP News | NJSP FAQs | Recruiting
Departmental: OAG Home | Contact OAG | About OAG | OAG News | OAG FAQs
Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New Jersey
The State of New Jersey Office of The Attorney General (Dept. of Law & Public Safety) The State of New Jersey NJ Home Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions