By Alex Lloyd Gross
Thee males that had no business being in America were arrested Saturday, March 2, 2019 and charged with running what Bensalem Police call a “very large” Heroin packaging business. According to Fred Harran, Director of Public Safety for Bensalem Twp, ” These drugs would have cost numerous people thier lives,”. Acting on a tip, police raided apartment 1262 of “The Grand” Apartment complex. Once inside, they found three males in the process of cutting and packaging almost $4.5 million in Heroin.
Arrested was Nieves Velez, Rodrigues Santiago and Bentacourt Pimentel. Their immigration status is as follows: Velez was in the country illegally, Santiago is a previously deported convicted felon. Both have ICE detainers on them. Even if they make bail at $1,000,000 cash, they will go right into ICE Custody. Pimentel has resident alien status. “Once he is convicted , he’s going to be shown the door of the United States, ” Harran said.
Detectives had some intel that there was illegal activity going on in that apartment. They kept up surveillance and even went through trash to build their case., according to Harran. They were using horse tranquilizers and Fentanyl to cut the Heroin and increase their profits, Harran said. He further states that the drugs they siezed were cut one time which makes them very pure. Also recovered was $40,000 in cash and scales, and packaging supplies.
“Once we raided the apartment and realized what we had, we secured the suspects and exited the apartment. We had to re enter wearing chemical suits, for our protection,” Harran said. The apartment complex is close to Route 1. That makes for easy transportation to Philadelphia, and Trenton. The Turnpike is close as well. These males were in this country illegally, doing something that was not only illegal, but it could have killed Americans who were here legally, Harran alluded to during some remarks to the media.