You are reading

Two Men Caught With Two Kilos of Fentanyl During Traffic Stop in Bayside: DA


Dec. 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin

Two men were caught with two kilos of fentanyl in their car last week during a traffic stop in Bayside.

The men — Navarro Gonzalez, 26, of California, and Esquer, 48, of Jalisco, Mexico — were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and other crimes in Queens Criminal Court Friday.

Gonzalez was driving a silver Ford Escape with Esquer in the passenger seat near Northern Boulevard and 204th Street on Dec. 1 when he made a right turn without signaling, according to the Queens district attorney.

An officer pulled the car over for the traffic infraction and allegedly discovered fentanyl hidden in the vehicle. Cops then discovered the drug—in green saran wrap bricks—inside the passenger airbag, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.

A police lab confirmed the substance recovered from the vehicle was fentanyl — a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine.

The use of fentanyl on its own or mixed in with other drugs has led to a significant uptick in overdose deaths across the nation—and in the borough—in recent years.

“Fentanyl has played a key role in the dramatic increase we’ve seen in fatal drug overdoses in Queens,” she said. “It is a dangerous drug that must be kept off our streets.”

Gonzalez and Esquer were arraigned Friday before Queens Criminal Court Judge Karen Gopee. They were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first, fifth and seventh degrees and a traffic violation.

They are set to return to court on Feb. 1. If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

The best pumpkin picking patches near New York City

Sep. 7, 2024 By Barbara Russo, Kaitlyn Riggio and New York Family

October is almost here which means it’s that time again to go pumpkin picking. Head to one of these pumpkin picking farms in and near New York City to pick from a variety of gourds, munchkins, and other pumpkins.

South Richmond Hill senior killed after fire breaks out in his illegal basement apartment on Thursday afternoon

A 72-year-old man was killed after a fire engulfed his illegal basement apartment in South Richmond Hill on Thursday afternoon.

The FDNY received a call just after 5 p.m. of a house fire at 94-14 132nd St. Firefighters confirmed the blaze broke out in the basement. The FDNY dispatched 12 units and 60 firefighters and EMS personnel to the scene. Paramedics rescued the 72-year-old victim, and EMS rushed him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead a short while later.

Woman allegedly choked in Queensboro Hill by robber who snatched her bag containing thousands in cash: NYPD

Police from the 109th Precinct in Flushing are looking for a strangler who robbed a 63-year-old woman in Queensboro Hill on the night of Thursday, Aug. 29.

The victim was walking on a residential block near the intersection of Frame Place and Maple Avenue just before midnight, when a stranger approached her and began to choke her. The perpetrator snatched her bag, which contained $6,000 in cash, her wallet and an iPhone.