Fentanyl Seizures Reach All-Time High: Study Reveals Disturbing Trend in Drug Trafficking

Two of the four defendants charged in connection with the fatal overdose death of a 1-year-old boy, and poisoning of three other children at a Bronx day care last fall have pleaded guilty to criminal charges ahead of their trials. U.S. attorney Damian Williams announced that 35-year-old Felix Herrera Garcia and 38-year-old Renny Antonio Parra Paredes have pleaded guilty to their charges.

Charges and Plea Agreements

Herrera Garcia pleaded guilty to single counts of conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and serious bodily injury, possession with intent to distribute narcotics resulting in death, and possession with intent to distribute narcotics resulting in serious bodily injury. Parra Paredes pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute narcotics and admitted causing death and serious bodily injury in connection to his role in the poisoning of children.

Details of the Case

The poisoning of four children under the age of three, including one who died at a day care facility in the Bronx on Sept. 15, 2023, led to these guilty pleas. The children were seriously injured due to an illegal fentanyl operation run by Herrera Garcia and Parra Paredes out of the day care center, where they processed the deadly drugs for sale.

Arrest and Charges

Garcia, who is the day care owner’s husband, was arrested in Sinaloa, Mexico, where Mexico’s Sinaloa drug trafficking cartel is based. Charged alongside Garcia and Parra Paredes were day care owner Grei Mendez De Ventura and neighbor Carlisto Acevedo Brito, who were both arrested on Sept. 16 and charged in federal court with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and narcotics distribution resulting in death, which carry maximum sentences of life in prison.

Criminal Charges Against Ventura and Brito

Ventura and Brito also face 11 charges, including assault, depraved-indifference murder and child endangerment after a child died, and three others were injured on Sept. 15 due to possible fentanyl exposure. Officials said two of the victims were in cardiac arrest when first responders arrived at the scene, and Narcan was used on the toddlers.

Illegal Drug Operation

According to the complaint, Parra Paredes and others, including Mendez and Brito, conspired to distribute fentanyl, including at a day care center in the Bronx. The operation involved large quantities of narcotics, including a kilogram of fentanyl stored on top of children’s play mats, and large amounts of suspected narcotics in traps located in the floor of the room that children played and slept on, as stated in the federal complaint.

Discovery of Narcotics and Drug Paraphernalia

Police discovered a large quantity of fentanyl and other narcotics and drug paraphernalia recovered on a trap floor in the play area at the Bronx day care center. Materials to package narcotics, glassine envelopes stamped with "RED DAWN" in red ink, and a "RED DAWN" stamp tool were also found at the day care facility. A search at Parra Paredes’ apartment also revealed tools and instruments used to prepare and distribute narcotics, along with clear plastic bags filled with a grayish powder suspected to contain narcotics, and envelopes stamped with "RED DAWN."

Garcia and Parra Paredes each face a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison for each count.