A suspected drug dealer was apprehended lugging a suitcase through the Bronx that was filled with enough fentanyl to kill around three-quarters of the people living in New York City, according to city officials.
Juan Gabriel Herrara Vargas, 42, was arrested on Tuesday just a few blocks from the Bronx daycare where a 1-year-old child tragically died unexpectedly after being exposed to the deadly chemical,
He was reportedly transporting 13 kilos of fentanyl, which represents potentially fatal dosages for roughly 6.5 million New Yorkers, at a time when overdose fatalities from the drug are at crisis levels in NYC.
Authorities said Vargas rode on a city subway train, through a subway station, and across the Bronx with the narcotics, which had an estimated street value of $1.5 million.
Vargas fled after being stopped by police, who demanded his wallet and identification, according to officials. Vargas was carrying the drug-filled, black-and-tan bag as he left the Kingsbridge Road station. Less than three hours later, he was apprehended nearby with a second bag that included 50,000 glassine canisters of fentanyl. According to the officials, more than 40 pounds of the narcotic were discovered.
The Bronx has the highest rate of overdose deaths among the boroughs, at 73.6 per 100,000 people, according to data from the city Health Department released this week. In the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, the overdose rate has more than doubled since 2019.
One-year-old Nicholas Feliz-Dominici passed away after being exposed to the narcotic at the El Divino Nino Day Care Center on September 15. Three other children were affected but survived their fentanyl exposure.
3,026 people died from drug overdoses in New York City in 2022, a 12% rise from 2021. Fentanyl was found in over 80% of these fatalities. The Drug Enforcement Agency claims that fentanyl may be fatal in even modest doses. As little as 2 milligrams of the drug can cause someone to pass away, depending on their tolerance, prior consumption, and body size.
