A New Jersey woman was arrested after New York authorities discovered she had 15,000 rainbow-colored fentanyl pills inside a lego box, with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency calling it the largest fentanyl seizure to date in New York City.
According to a Tuesday DEA news release, the 48-year-old suspect, Latesha Bush, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday. A criminal complaint filed by the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor (SNP) charges Bush with one count of first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Bush’s bail is set at $25,000 and $150,000 insurance company bond, and a $100,000 partially secured surety bond, the DEA said. New York police officers investigating suspected narcotics trafficking reportedly observed the middle-aged woman enter a vehicle in Manhattan with a large black tote bag. The officers stopped the vehicle and found two black tote bags and a Lego container in the back seat with several brick-shaped packages inside.
The New York County Defender Services gave CNN a “no comment” on behalf of Bush’s attorney. “Using happy colors to make a deadly drug seem fun and harmless is a new low, even for the Mexican cartels,” NYC Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said in the release. She said fentanyl is involved in more than 80% of overdose deaths in the city.
“If you take any drug sold on the street or through the internet, regardless of its medicinal markings or festive appearance, you risk your life,” she added. Rainbow fentanyl comes in bright colors and can be used in the form of pills or powder that contain the powerful synthetic opioid, making them extremely addictive and potentially deadly if someone overdoses.
The DEA released a warning in August advising the public of this “alarming emerging trend.” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram called rainbow fentanyl “a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction among kids and young adults.” The news comes as Halloween approaches, a time when authorities often warn families to inspect candy before eating.
Federal and local drug enforcement officials arrested Bush, who is from Trenton, New Jersey, while they were conducting surveillance on September 28 as part of an ongoing investigation into narcotics trafficking, the complaint said. Bush allegedly carried a black tote bag wrapped around a large object as she entered a vehicle in Manhattan, according to the complaint.
When the officers stopped the vehicle, a detective found Bush in the rear seat with two black tote bags and a yellow Lego container holding “approximately 15,000 round multi-colored alleged fentanyl pills marked ‘M30,’” the complaint said.
“Disguising fentanyl as candy – and concealing it in children’s toys – will never hide the fact that fentanyl is a deadly poison that harms our communities, our families, and our city,” New York Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said. Investigators believe the pills originated in Mexico. They said the case highlights the tactics of two major cartels.
“The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel are mass-producing fentanyl pills in rainbow colors to not only brand their products, but use colors and dyes to mimic candy and/or legitimate prescription drugs,” authorities said in the news release.
