{"id":661612,"date":"2026-09-02T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=661612"},"modified":"2026-09-02T03:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T03:00:00","slug":"cartel-connections-600-pounds-of-cocaine-worth-10-million-found-in-queens-self-storage-facility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=661612","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Cartel Connections&#8221;: 600 Pounds Of Cocaine Worth $10 Million Found In Queens Self-Storage Facility"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden\">&#8220;Cartel Connections&#8221;: 600 Pounds Of Cocaine Worth $10 Million Found In Queens Self-Storage Facility<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item\">\n<p>A routine-looking storage facility in Queens was allegedly holding something far more valuable than furniture and moving boxes, <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/28\/us-news\/10m-worth-of-cocaine-seized-from-lic-storage-unit-nypd\/\">according to new reports from the New York Post<\/a>\u00a0and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnewyork.com\/news\/local\/crime-and-courts\/cocaine-worth-10-million-seized-queens-drug-bust\/6541734\/\">NBC New York<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In fact, authorities say they uncovered nearly 600 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $10 million at a self-storage location in Long Island City,<\/strong> <strong>resulting in one of New York City\u2019s most significant drug seizures in decades.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The investigation led police to Nelson Salcedo, 35, of Englewood, New Jersey, who was arrested Aug. 26 as authorities say he was preparing to transport another load from the facility. Investigators found 19 cardboard boxes in and around his van containing 230 brick-like packages.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Together, the suspected cocaine weighed approximately 586 pounds.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a data-image-external-href=\"\" data-image-href=\"\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/Screenshot%202026-09-01%20at%2007.15.07.jpg?itok=UZ5gOY_4\" data-link-option=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.zerohedge.com\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/Screenshot%202026-09-01%20at%2007.15.07.jpg?itok=UZ5gOY_4\"><\/a><\/p>\n<figure role=\"group\" class=\"caption caption-img inline-images image-style-inline-images\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"7b3b100d-52b6-4721-bf9c-a8b6cfeccadc\" data-responsive-image-style=\"inline_images\" height=\"284\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/Screenshot%202026-09-01%20at%2007.15.07.jpg?itok=UZ5gOY_4\" width=\"500\" \/><figcaption>Photo: NBC New York<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>Initial testing identified the substance as cocaine, although additional laboratory analysis was still pending. Investigators believe the drugs were part of a much broader distribution network stretching between New Jersey and New York, with the DEA indicating that the supply chain ultimately has cartel connections.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/08\/28\/us-news\/10m-worth-of-cocaine-seized-from-lic-storage-unit-nypd\/\">NY post reported<\/a> that the case developed from a separate narcotics investigation in New Jersey. <strong>Authorities had previously recovered 33 pounds of cocaine, about $170,000 in cash and a firearm in Fort Lee. That investigation eventually put Salcedo on their radar and prompted detectives to begin following his movements.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Prosecutors allege that Salcedo transported boxes from the Long Island City facility on at least two earlier occasions, Aug. 12 and Aug. 19, bringing them to an area near the northern end of Central Park. Investigators moved in when he allegedly returned for another shipment on Aug. 26.<\/p>\n<p><a data-image-external-href=\"\" data-image-href=\"\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/Screenshot%202026-09-01%20at%2007.16.08.jpg?itok=HYJzdkFg\" data-link-option=\"0\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.zerohedge.com\/s3\/files\/inline-images\/Screenshot%202026-09-01%20at%2007.16.08.jpg?itok=HYJzdkFg\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-entity-type=\"file\" data-entity-uuid=\"791e730a-8f43-4207-ae07-3f66cb5cab35\" data-responsive-image-style=\"inline_images\" height=\"263\" width=\"500\" class=\"inline-images image-style-inline-images\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/Screenshot%202026-09-01%20at%2007.16.08.jpg?itok=HYJzdkFg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Officials say the quantity recovered suggests the cocaine was destined for further packaging and distribution rather than direct sale in its seized form. The haul represents the NYPD\u2019s biggest cocaine seizure in at least a decade and the largest handled by the Special Narcotics Prosecutor\u2019s office in more than 20 years.<\/p>\n<p>Three people, including Salcedo, have been arrested in connection with the broader investigation. Another person suspected of receiving previous deliveries had not yet been taken into custody.<\/p>\n<p>Salcedo was arraigned on charges of first- and second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>      <span class=\"field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden\"><a title=\"View user profile.\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.zerohedge.com\/users\/tyler-durden\" lang=\"\" class=\"username\" xml:lang=\"\">Tyler Durden<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<span class=\"field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden\">Tue, 09\/01\/2026 &#8211; 23:00<\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.zerohedge.com\/s3fs-public\/styles\/inline_image_mobile\/public\/inline-images\/Screenshot%202026-09-01%20at%2007.15.07.jpg?itok=UZ5gOY_4\" title=\"\" \/><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Cartel Connections&#8221;: 600 Pounds Of Cocaine Worth $10 Million Found In Queens Self-Storage Facility A routine-looking storage facility in Queens was allegedly holding something far more valuable than furniture and moving boxes, according to new reports from the New York Post\u00a0and NBC New York. In fact, authorities say they uncovered nearly 600 pounds of cocaine&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=661612\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">&#8220;Cartel Connections&#8221;: 600 Pounds Of Cocaine Worth $10 Million Found In Queens Self-Storage Facility<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":661613,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,22,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-661612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-border-security","category-immigration","category-immigration-reform","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=661612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661612\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/661613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=661612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=661612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=661612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}