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MINEOLA, New York (WABC) — Almost 700 pounds of cocaine have been seized in Nassau County in what is being called one of the largest drug busts in the county’s history.
Two people are facing charges in connection with the bust of 687 pounds of cocaine.
$20 million in cocaine was stacked up on a table in front of authorities during a news conference at Nassau County Police Headquarters in Mineola on Tuesday.
Narcotics officers conducted a stakeout at the Holiday Inn on Sunnyside Avenue in Plainview, which was apparently known for drug transactions, and saw what they believed to be a sale happening last Thursday.
They approached a vehicle with two men inside and found some cocaine in the front seat.
One the arrests were made they found the massive haul in the back inside multiple suitcases.
Police arrested Michael Viera, 40, and Daniel Santana, 35. They were arraigned on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first and third degrees. Both of those charges could carry maximum sentences of 20 years behind bars.
Both suspects are from Puerto Rico, but recently lived in Florida, and both have former homicide convictions in Puerto Rico.
“This is over $20 million of street value that was going to go out into the streets of Long Island and affect our kids that are out there,” said Patrick Ryder, the Nassau County police commissioner.
“We are making a remarkable amount of progress when it comes to taking illegal drugs off the streets of Nassau County and, again, the whole metropolitan area,” said Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County Executive and gubernatorial candidate. “These drugs were meant not just for Nassau County but for the whole metropolitan area and this will make our whole region, much, much safer.”
Prosecutors say they are going to try to upgrade the charges to include drug trafficking. The suspects were remanded to jail and authorities say the investigation is ongoing.
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