MINEOLA, N.Y. — Nassau County authorities have seized nearly 700 pounds of cocaine in what is being described as one of the largest drug busts in the county’s history.
On Thursday, officers conducting surveillance at a Holiday Inn parking lot on Sunnyside Avenue in Plainview observed what they believed was a drug sale. They approached a truck containing Michael Viera, 40, and Daniel Santana, 35, and discovered cocaine in the front seat. A search of the vehicle’s trunk revealed a total of 312 kilos (687 lbs) of cocaine, with a street value of approximately $20 million, authorities said.
The two men, both from Deland, Florida, but with prior residences in Puerto Rico where they faced homicide charges, were arrested and arraigned on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first and third degrees. Each charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Prosecutors are considering upgrading the charges to include drug trafficking.
“This is over $20 million of street value that was going to go out into the streets of Long Island and affect our kids,” said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. Nassau County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman called it “one of the largest, if not the largest, drug busts we’ve ever had on Long Island.”
The suspects were remanded to jail, and the investigation into the operation is ongoing.
