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Major Fentanyl Drug Mill Dismantled in Paterson, Suspected Kingpin Arrested
The latest crackdown in a series of high-profile drug busts seizes nearly $1 million in narcotics, keeping the lethal opioid out of New Jersey streets.
In a significant triumph for law enforcement, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has announced the successful dismantlement of a major drug operation in Paterson, New Jersey, resulting in the arrest of 30-year-old suspect Pedro Rodriguez Avalo.
The arrest, conducted on June 27, 2023, is the culmination of a detailed investigation by the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) Drug Trafficking North Unit. Officers discovered an alleged drug mill within a residential property on Lily Street, within 1,000 feet of the B.J. Wilkerson Memorial Child Development Center, where they seized roughly three and a half pounds of suspected fentanyl powder, over 1,000 suspected fentanyl pills, 150 suspected methamphetamine pills, and other drug-related items. The street value of the narcotics haul is approximately $1 million.
According to law enforcement, Avalo was allegedly distributing drugs on a large scale throughout Paterson. A probe into his supposed drug trafficking activities began in May 2023, and a search warrant was subsequently issued by a state Superior Court judge in Passaic County.
"Fentanyl is an extraordinarily dangerous drug that can be lethal in small doses and has contributed to a spike in overdose deaths in the past decade,” said Derek Nececkas, Interim Director of the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ). “This arrest takes a suspected major source of that drug in the city of Paterson offline, helping to protect the public from exposure to this potentially deadly substance and furthering our efforts to reduce crime and enhance safety in the city."
Indeed, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration notes that fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. This arrest resulted in the confiscation of over 800,000 "lethal doses" of fentanyl.
Avalo's arrest marks the third significant takedown of a major drug distribution operation in Paterson in the last three months, following Attorney General Platkin’s March 27, 2023 supersession of the Paterson Police Department.
In his statement, Attorney General Platkin highlighted the impact of such criminal enterprises on public safety, health, and quality of life in the communities they infiltrate. He pledged the continued efforts of his office, the New Jersey State Police, and the Paterson Police Department to eradicate such illicit activities.
While Avalo has been released under specific conditions pending his next court date, the charges against him are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The prosecution is being led by Deputy Attorney General Benjamin Forrest of the DCJ Violence Suppression and Organized Crime Unit.
This latest crackdown follows a series of high-profile drug busts in Paterson, indicating a determined effort by law enforcement agencies to tackle the menace of drug trafficking in the region. Just three weeks ago, another Paterson man was arrested on drug possession charges, with police seizing over $100,000 worth of narcotics. Furthermore, in April, an unrelated investigation led to the confiscation of drugs worth an estimated $1.6 million.
