Some enterprising young drug hustlers make objectively saavy moves, but others make some pretty dumb ones. Well, we're strictly in the latter camp with yesterday's bust at two apartments on the border of Queens and Brooklyn. Cops netted a $10 million stash of cocaine, as well as a small arsenal of weapons.
Were there months of high-stakes surveillance to uncover the operation? Were there undercover purchases made? Was there at least a catchy name like "Operation Rotten Apple?" No, police bumbled and stumbled their way into finding 80 pounds of coke, an AK-47 rifle, two Uzi submachine guns and five handguns. And it was all because some Narcotics officers spotted a drug deal happening in broad daylight, right outside the dealer's Ridgewood apartment. Amateur hour!
"It's very rare to have a seizure of this size in these kinds of neighborhoods," said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan about Ridgewood. The building landlord agreed: "We never saw anybody coming in or out." Three men, Carlos Rivera, 38, Ray Augirre, 35, and Gabriel Valderrama, 32, were arrested, and we imagine they'll probably have some time to consult this guy's drug dealing do's and don't list.
