On Friday, authorities revealed they had seized more than 26 pounds of cocaine and $3 million in cash from a Bronx apartment complete with secret trap door compartments.
The bust was part of an ongoing investigation into a major drug distributor alleged to be operating out of the Norwood section of the Bronx. Cocaine and money had been concealed inside several pieces of furniture, reported ABC 7 News.
Law enforcement officials announced the arrest of 60-year-old Juan Rondon.
Rondon is charged with operating as a major trafficker and criminal possession of a controlled substance. He is currently being held without bail and had previously been deported from the US in 2006.
"This investigation shows how lucrative the cocaine trafficking business can be. Over a span of years, an accused major trafficker apparently squirreled away more than $3 million, filling secret compartments inside furniture to the brim with bundles of cash wrapped together in rubber bands, expensive watches, and kilograms of cocaine," special narcotics prosecutor Bridget Brennan said.
Rondon's arrest comes on the heels of a two-month investigation.
According to documents, Rondon was arrested with cocaine and the keys to a Bronx apartment containing several pieces of furniture that included secret trap compartments, such as dressers, nightstands, and a coffee table.
The coffee table allegedly held approximately 12 kilograms of cocaine and certain amounts of cash. At least ten luxury watches, some designed by Rolex and Cartier, were recovered from one of the hidden compartments in a nightstand.
Money was wrapped and hidden in bundles labeled with dates spanning several years.
"A multi-million-dollar drug den looked like any ordinary apartment until our agents and investigators uncovered hidden compartments in various pieces of furniture filled with contraband," said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino.
Detectives camped outside Rondon's apartment on Gates Place near Moshulu Parkway in the Norwood neighborhood earlier in the day.
They witnessed him enter the apartment with a concealed bag and then leave with the same bag a short time later. He later returned to the residence empty-handed.
According to law enforcement, just before 5 p.m., Rondon was seen coming out of the second-floor apartment when investigators stopped him and found he had cocaine.
Agents searched the unit and identified several pieces of furniture with secret trap compartments.
However, despite there being millions of dollars in cash, drugs, and other expensive items inside the home, there was no additional security for the residence.
