Update In NJ Rest Stop Fentanyl Bust: Enough Drugs To Kill 4M

NEW JERSEY – Two men have admitted their roles in a drug distribution conspiracy in connection with the large seizure of fentanyl and heroin at a New Jersey rest stop, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito has announced.

The bust produced enough drugs to kill 4 million people – about half of New Jersey's population – and totaled about 8 kilograms of fentanyl, which is much more powerful than heroin.

Law enforcement authorities initially said the large-scale fentanyl operation had enough drugs to kill 10 million people – which would be more than the entire New Jersey population. The defendants eventually admitted to possessing much less.

The Drug Enforcement Administration says a dosage of 2 milligrams of fentanyl is typically considered lethal.

Luis Aponte, 48, of Riverside, Calif., pleaded guilty Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Peter Sheridan in Trenton federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin. Denny Diaz, 29, of Philadelphia, Pa., pleaded guilty before Judge Sheridan on Sept. 10, 2019.

According to the documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

Aponte drove a tractor-trailer truck to a rest stop in Bloomsbury, N.J., on March 1. The next day, he met Diaz in a car and gave Diaz approximately six kilograms of fentanyl. Both men were arrested shortly thereafter, according to a release.

Law enforcement officers searched Aponte’s truck at the rest stop and found an additional two kilograms of fentanyl and 11 kilograms of heroin inside, accoding to a release.

The charge to which the defendants have pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $10 million. Sentencing for Aponte is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2020, and for Diaz, Dec. 16, 2019.

The seizure came roughly two weeks after federal authorities said they stopped a drug operation that was prepared to supply New Jersey with enough drugs to kill 2.4 million – roughly one-third of the state's population. Read more: NJ Fentanyl Bust: Enough Doses To Kill An Estimated 2.4 Million