LI drug bust had 'enough fentanyl to kill every one of Suffolk's 1.5M residents,' DA says

Five Long Island residents and a Bronx man who were allegedly behind a large-scale narcotics operation that stretched from the East End to the Bronx were arrested last week following a seven-month investigation, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney and other law-enforcement officials said Friday.

Authorities who executed search warrants at homes in West Islip, Bay Shore, Wyandanch, Lindenhurst and the Bronx last week seized 4 kilograms of fentanyl during the investigation, Tierney said during a news conference in Brentwood, enough to kill every one of Suffolk’s 1.5 million residents. Investigators also found 5 kilograms of heroin, 1.8 kilograms of cocaine and 2,000 counterfeit, fentanyl-laced Oxycodone pills.

"The message here is simple, that if you deal in these deadly poisons and operate in Suffolk County, we, along with our partners, will come for you," Tierney said. ‘

Fentanyl is a cheap synthetic opioid that is responsible for most of the fatal overdoses on Long Island and across the nation. There were 3,319 fatal opioid overdoses statewide in 2024, according to the New York State Health Department's County Opioid Quarterly Reports, a 37.5% drop from the 5,307 recorded in 2023. 

According to the Suffolk County Medical Examiner, there have been 147 fatal overdoses caused by opioids and other illicit substances this year through August, with 128 pending cases. There were 315 fatal overdoses in 2024, with 22 cases pending, a sharp drop from 2023, when 463 overdose deaths were recorded.

Overdose statistics from Nassau County were not available.

Frank Tarentino, the special-agent-in-charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York division, said the investigation "undoubtedly saved lives."

"We are dealing with an ever-changing, complex and dynamic illicit drug landscape of synthetic opioids that are more readily available, highly addictive, more powerful and deadlier than ever before," Tarentino added.

Law-enforcement officials seized three handguns, a rifle and a shotgun while executing search warrants at various locations on Oct. 30, as well as seven high-capacity magazines and a military-style can filled with ammunition.

"As you see the guns up here, this is just evidence that narcotics dealing is not a nonviolent crime," Suffolk Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said, referring to the seized weapons on display at the news conference. "There is always violence associated with drugs, and to argue that it is not is just misinformed interpretation or stupidity."

Tierney said the investigation began in April after law enforcement officials learned that John Collado, 26, of West Islip, was allegedly distributing large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in Suffolk County. Collado, who Tierney said was the leader of the drug ring, was charged with 12 counts of first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance along with 44 other drug- and weapons-related counts.

"This was a network that was thriving on selling large supplies of narcotics to other significant drug dealers," Tierney said.

Suffolk District Judge Evan S. Tanenbaum ordered Collado during an Oct. 31 arraignment to be held in lieu of $1.25 million cash, $2.5 million bond or $10 million partially secured bond. His attorney, Ramon Cabrera of Copiague, did not return a request for comment.

Other defendants are:

• Anthony Dominguez, 33, of Bay Shore, charged with first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance along with other drug and weapons charges. Tanenbaum ordered Dominguez held on $1 million cash, $2 million bond or $10 million partially secured bond. Dominguez’s attorney, Jonathan Manley of Hauppauge, did not return a request for comment.
• Yergenis Paulino, 25, of West Babylon, charged with first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and other drug-related crimes. Tanenbaum ordered Paulino held in lieu of $750,000 cash, $1.5 million bond or $7.5 million partially secured bond. Paulino’s attorney, Chris Gioe, did not return a request for comment.
• Michael Torres, 26, of Wyandanch, charged with first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Tanenbaum ordered Torres held in lieu of $750,000 cash, $1.5 million bond or $7.5 million partially secured bond. Torres’ attorney, Larry Flowers of Huntington, declined to discuss the charges.
• Luiggi Peralta, 31, of the Bronx, charged with first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and other drug-related charges. Tanenbaum ordered Peralta held in lieu of $750,000 cash, $1.5 million bond or $7.5 million partially secured bond. Peralta is represented by the Legal Aid Society, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
• David Priest, 35, of Ronkonkoma, charged with first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and other drug-related crimes. Tanenbaum ordered Priest held without bail. "My client is maintaining his innocence and we look forward to reviewing the discovery once it is provided to us," said Priest’s attorney, Scott Zerner of Manhattan. 

In addition to the district attorney’s office, Suffolk police and the DEA, the investigation also included the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, Southold police, Town of Southampton police, Town of East Hampton police, Riverhead police, New York State Police, U.S. Marshals, and New York City’s Office of Special Narcotics Prosecutor and the NYPD.