Eight Arrested in Dismantling of Hispanic Gang Operating from Rufus King Park
By: The Newspaper
Massive Drug and Weapons Seizure Leads to Eight Arrests
Eight people have been arrested and a significant amount of weapons and drugs, valued at over $1 million dollars, have been seized as a result of the dismantling of a Hispanic gang that operated from “Rufus King Park” in the Jamaica neighborhood, according to an announcement made by Melinda Katz, the district attorney of Queens (NYC).
Prosecutors have revealed that among the detainees are several teenagers as young as 18 who were involved in running a large-scale trafficking network, as reported by patch.com. The alleged leader of the operation, Adrián Escobar, known as “King Mango,” is a resident of Brooklyn.
It has been discovered that seven out of the eight men arrested belong to two different families, namely Fernández and Escobar, as stated by Pix11. During the operations conducted in houses located in Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island, law enforcement authorities were able to recover four handguns, five pounds of cocaine, a cocaine press, over a pound of fentanyl, oxycodone pills, MDMA, Adderall and Xanax pills, as well as more than $67,000 in cash.
Undercover Officer’s Year-and-a-Half Investigation Leads to Major Seizure
An undercover officer, as part of a year-and-a-half-long investigation, successfully purchased five handguns from the defendants. District Attorney Katz stated, “We seized drugs with an estimated street value of $1 million dollars. The investigation was sparked by violence and drug sales in and around Rufus King Park. The items seized during these raids confirmed our suspicions that it was indeed a major trafficking operation.”
Severe Charges and Potential Lengthy Prison Sentences
The accused individuals are facing charges including weapons possession, conspiracy, and the sale and possession of drugs. Escobar, in particular, is facing over 40 charges that could result in a prison sentence of up to 150 years.
“These men were major drug and arms traffickers who posed a serious threat to public safety as peddlers of death and addiction,” said Katz.
All charges are merely accusations, and those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
