Queens storage facility seizure yields $10M in cocaine

Authorities in New York City have seized approximately 586 pounds of cocaine, valued at an estimated $10 million, from a self-storage facility in Long Island City, Queens. The seizure is described by the Special Narcotics Prosecutor as the largest single cache of cocaine her office has seized in 20 years.

The investigation led to the arrest of 35-year-old Nelson Salcedo of Englewood, New Jersey, on August 26. Law enforcement officials, including the NYPD and federal agents, observed Salcedo loading cardboard boxes into a van at a storage facility on Northern Boulevard. Investigators found 230 brick-like packages inside the vehicle.

The case originated from a separate narcotics investigation in New Jersey, where authorities previously recovered 33 pounds of cocaine and cash in Fort Lee. This led detectives to monitor Salcedo, who was allegedly seen transporting boxes to the northern end of Central Park on earlier dates in August. The DEA indicated that the supply chain for the drugs has connections to drug cartels, and officials believe the cocaine was intended for further packaging and distribution throughout the tri-state area.