Twelve individuals, operating from Onondaga County to Albany, as well as others known and unknown, are accused of plotting to buy and distribute cocaine, methamphetamines, and marijuana throughout New York State. Late Thursday, a federal court unsealed a new report detailing the suspected drug trafficking ring.
12 people were involved in the “truck trafficking” ring from around 2021 until its bust on Wednesday.
The federal complaint alleges that thousands of pounds of banned narcotics were transferred across the country over a four-year period.
The lawsuit describes how the drug trafficking enterprise regularly sourced hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine from Mexico. The drug trafficking enterprise obtained thousands of pounds of marijuana from California and Oklahoma.
The 12 individuals identified thus far allegedly rented various large vehicles and trucks to transport the drugs over state boundaries to New York City. Then, they distributed the pharmaceuticals throughout the state, encompassing the Capital Region, North Country, Central New York, Western New York, and New York City.
The vehicles included a U-Haul truck, a Honda Accord, a Toyota RAV4, a Chrysler van, a GMC, and two tractor-trailers.
The majority of the suspects spoke with one another via encrypted messaging apps such as Signal and WeChat, using “street” names.
Cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana were discovered in several warehouses. Storage has also been found in Los Angeles, California; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Queens, New York.
Drugs were allegedly found vacuum-sealed and stashed in freight carriers, cardboard Home Depot boxes, chest freezers, and cellophane-wrapped wood pallets.
In December 2023, law enforcement agents carried out a search warrant at a residence in Niskayuna, New York, in Schenectady County. The officers discovered the following:
- At least four empty plastic bags wrapped in cellophane containing 0.93 grams of cocaine,
- A measuring cup containing a substance that tested positive for cocaine, and
- New vacuum-seal plastic bags, rubber bands, and nitrile gloves
The report mentions cocaine distribution in Syracuse, New York, from March to July 2024, with a meeting location in Rochester provided in an encrypted message on July 8.
In July and August 2024, government enforcement made three controlled purchases of cocaine from one of the suspects, Jason “Whispers” Hogue, in Lake Placid.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at an apartment in Ontario County’s Farmington, New York, in July 2024. At one unit, officers discovered the following:
- 2 kilograms of cocaine in vacuum-sealed bags,
- $119,600 in cash in a closet,
- $40,623 cash in a kitchen cabinet,
- $20,000 cash in the bedroom,
- Drug packaging materials,
- A magazine with five .380 caliber rounds, and
- A luggage tag for a bag carried by one of the suspects on a flight from Los Angeles to Buffalo
On January 31, 2025, police stopped one of the suspects, Anthony Dixon Jr., on the Cross Bronx Expressway. While being pulled over, officers searched the trailer. Officers discovered roughly 239 kilos of cocaine hidden in chest freezers, as well as approximately 686 pounds of marijuana. Dixon was interviewed by police and denied any knowledge of the drugs.