NYPD Seizes 580 Pounds of Cocaine in Queens in Largest Bust in a Decade

Federal and New York City law enforcement officials announced on Friday, August 28, 2026, the seizure of approximately 580 pounds of cocaine from a Long Island City storage unit, marking the largest cocaine bust by the NYPD in at least a decade. The arrest of the alleged transporter, Nelson Salcedo, 35, of Englewood, New Jersey, on Wednesday, August 26, followed a months-long investigation into an interstate trafficking network with ties to an international cartel.

The investigation, which began in June, involved the NYPD, the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Jersey State Police, and the Port Authority Police Department. It focused on suspected drug trafficking in Upper Manhattan. On August 12, investigators conducting surveillance followed suspects to an address in Fort Lee, New Jersey, where they recovered approximately $170,000 in cash, a firearm, and 15 kilograms of cocaine. On that same day, officers observed Salcedo delivering weighted cardboard boxes to an individual near the northern end of Central Park. A similar delivery was observed on August 19.

Expecting the pattern to continue, investigators tracked Salcedo's silver Nissan van, which was registered to an...