Fentanyl, Heroin, and Firearms Seized as Law Enforcement Targets Violent Gang’s Grip on Newark Housing Complex
In a crackdown on organized crime, 18 alleged co-conspirators were arrested in Newark, New Jersey, following a 14-month investigation into a major drug trafficking organization. The operation, spearheaded by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, along with numerous federal, state, and local partners, dealt a major blow to a violent street gang controlling the drug trade in the Bradley Court Public Housing Complex.
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The arrests, primarily occurring on July 1 and two additional on July 2, led to federal charges against 24 individuals. While four defendants remain at large, law enforcement also executed seven federal search warrants across Essex County, disrupting a complex criminal enterprise.
“Law enforcement partnership and teamwork were essential in our success,” stated HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, emphasizing the thousands of hours of police work that went into the operation. “The livelihood of the tenants throughout 10 three-story apartment buildings who have been plagued by this dangerous enterprise for far too long can now feel a sense of safety and security.”
The HSI investigation uncovered a sophisticated network with ties to transnational organized crime, responsible for distributing over 400 grams of fentanyl and a kilo of heroin. During the takedown, authorities seized approximately $113,000 in cash and drug proceeds, along with illicit firearms, ammunition, narcotics – including 28 bricks of fentanyl and heroin – and several vehicles.
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The defendants are identified as members or associates of “Sex, Money, Murder,” a Bloods-affiliated street gang also known as Munn Block, M-Blok, and Tombstone Gang (TSG). This enterprise tightly controlled the drug trade in the Bradley Court Housing Complex. The gang, closely aligned with another Bloods faction called Voorhees (collectively known as “MunnHees”), extensively used social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter) to conduct their illicit business, communicate, and even promote their activities through drill rap music videos designed to intimidate rivals and the community.
“These individuals engaged in the most dangerous of action, were armed and were involved in shootings,” SAC Patel highlighted. “They peddled narcotics to include fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine, all while risking the lives of those around them for power and money.”
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba underscored the severe impact of the gang’s activities on the community. “For far too long, the Bloods have overtaken the Bradley Court Housing Complex — turning its courtyards and residential buildings into a hub for pumping deadly fentanyl into the city of Newark, while endangering the lives of the citizens who call this community home,” said U.S. Attorney Habba. “This poison has ripped families apart and stolen countless lives. That stops today.”
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The exhaustive investigation involved extensive surveillance, numerous controlled narcotic purchases, seizures, and detailed analysis of telephone records, all confirming the extensive interactions among the charged defendants.
The federal charges primarily involve conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine against 23 individuals. Additionally, Sebastian Pierrecent, Quayyan Johnson, and Tauheed Carney face charges for possession of a machine gun. Pierrecent is also charged with possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, with specific allegations linking them to a machine gun used in a June 17 shooting in rival gang territory.
This operation was a collaborative effort involving U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey State Police, Newark Police Department, East Orange Police Department, and the Newark Housing Authority Security Department.
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“These arrests affirm my office’s commitment to taking guns and drugs off the streets and serves as a clear warning to anyone who considers engaging in violent activity,” U.S. Attorney Habba stated. “If you spread this poison or engage in this violent activity, we will use every resource necessary to find you, dismantle your operation, and prosecute you.”
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