Mount Sinai NY
2-06-2025 6:26pm

Long Island Man Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl That Could Endanger 2.5 Million Lives

Authorities have indicted a Long Island resident for allegedly possessing five kilograms of fentanyl, a lethal amount capable of claiming the lives of more than 2.5 million people.

Adriano Abreu Bonifacio, 39, was apprehended in December after Suffolk County Police became wary of a package that was sent to his home in Deer Park.

The item, described as a white box dispatched from Paramount, California, was addressed to an individual named Miguel Perez, according to law enforcement officials.

After California officials flagged a suspicious package, they promptly forwarded it to the Suffolk County Police Department for a thorough investigation.

Upon arrival, the package was examined with the assistance of a highly trained narcotics detection dog named “Champ.” The canine quickly alerted the officers to the presence of a dangerous substance, leading to the discovery of five kilograms of fentanyl. Authorities warned that this amount was “nearly enough to kill every resident living in Nassau and Suffolk Counties combined.”

The next day, an undercover officer from the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force posed as a delivery driver and approached Bonifacio’s home, ready to deliver the flagged package.

When the officer knocked on the door, Bonifacio answered and claimed to be a friend of Miguel Perez, asserting that he had permission to receive the package on Perez’s behalf. However, as soon as he accepted the package, police moved in and arrested him, bringing an end to the dangerous operation.

Investigators later determined that a man named Miguel Perez did not reside at the address where the package was delivered, raising further suspicions about Bonifacio's claims.

A Suffolk County grand jury subsequently indicted Bonifacio on several serious charges, including one count of operating as a major trafficker, one count of first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

In Suffolk District Court on Wednesday, Bonifacio entered a plea of not guilty. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence ranging from 15 years to life in prison.

District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney commented on the case, stating, “This indictment underscores our office’s steadfast commitment to tackling the fentanyl overdose crisis. We will continue to collaborate closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who bring this poison into our community.”

Bonifacio's attorney, Javier Solano, informed Newsday that his client has limited English proficiency and may have misinterpreted the officer's questions.

"I believe the prosecutors in this case made a regrettable mistake," Solano told the publication.

County Court Judge Philip Goglas set Bonifacio's bail at $500,000 in cash. He is scheduled to return to court on March 13.

Solano did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment on Thursday.

More News from Mount Sinai
I'm interested
I disagree with this
This is unverified
Spam
Offensive