Investigators seize 32,000 fentanyl pills at JFK airport hotel in Queens

QUEENS (PIX11) --- Investigators seized thousands of fentanyl pills worth around $1 million in a Queens bust, officials said Wednesday.

They also arrested two California men: Roodolph Pierre-Lys, 33, and Uriel Barajas-Valencia, 50. The bust was the result of a months-long in drug trafficking investigation.

Pierre-Lys and Barajas-Valencia allegedly arranged the trafficking of around 32,000 fentanyl pills, officials said. They were arrested Monday at a hotel near John F. Kennedy International Airport on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first and third degrees

"The arrests announced today reflect our unrelenting efforts to prevent deadly fentanyl pills from reaching the streets," Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan said. "In recent weeks, working with our law enforcement partners, we have seized hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills and deprived suppliers of millions of dollars. This seizure, and the arrest of two California-based defendants near Kennedy Airport, highlights our work to save lives."

Fentanyl has accounted for about 76% of deadly overdoses in Queens this year, officials said. Recent Drug Enforcement Administration testing determined six out of 10 fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

Bail was set at $50,000 cash/$100,000 bond for each defendant during Tuesday's arraignments.