Dozens arrested in major drug bust in New York's Hudson Valley

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Authorities take down massive drug operation in the Hudson Valley

Marcus Solis has the latest details.

NEWBURGH, Orange County (WABC) -- A task force of police agencies in the Hudson Valley say they have taken down a massive drug trafficking operation that peddled PCP, marijuana, cocaine, crack, and heroin.

34 people are now under arrest after the nine-month long sting.

Police called it 'Operation Family Ties' because of the number of suspects who are related to one another.

Police say a house on Carson Avenue in Newburgh was known as 'Carson Casino', a base of operation for one of two drug distribution networks that were taken down.

The suspects were arrested in a series of raids Monday in Port Jervis, New Windsor, Newburgh and the Bronx.

Here's a list of names of those arrested:

1. Ruben Cruz, 52, Newburgh, NY

2. Ramon Rivera, 45, Newburgh, NY

3. Raymond Rivera, 25, Newburgh, NY

4. Lance Faison, 39, Newburgh, NY

5. Richard Mauro, 45, Newburgh, NY

6. Jason Anderson, 44, Highland, NY

7. Luis Rodriguez, 31, Newburgh, NY

8. Eugene Johnson, 46, Newburgh, NY

9. Luis Paulino, 40, Newburgh, NY

10. Earnest Washington, 59, New York, NY

11. Lamont Williams Sr., 43, Wallkill, NY

12. Lamont Williams Jr., 27, Port Jervis, NY

13. Valerie Williams, 41, Wallkill, NY

14. Kihuana Blackmon, 37, Newburgh, NY

15. Tamika Clegg, 42, Newburgh, NY

16. Lamara Williams, 26, Newburgh, NY

17. Desmond Williams, 18, Newburgh, NY

18. Diana Herbin, 22, Wallkill, NY

19. Steven Hall, 25, Wallkill, NY

20. Steven Reed, 24, Newburgh, NY

21. Cory Arnold, 24, Newburgh, NY

22. Mark Robinson, 36, Newburgh, NY

23. Sabrina Herring, 34, Newburgh, NY

24. Gabriel Richards, 25, Newburgh, NY

25. Corey Perdue, 36, Highlands, NY

26. Thomas Downer, 46, Newburgh, NY

27. Ryan Nagle, 23, Monroe, NY

28. Joseph Horace, 26, Marlboro, NY

29. William McNeil, 28, Newburgh, NY

30. Shanice Jones, 24, Newburgh, NY

31. Scott Lemin, 46, Monroe, NY

32. Nancy Cruz, 46, New Windsor, NY

33. Willie Rodriguez, 24, Newburgh, NY

34. Carlos Csoke, 46, Newburgh, NY

These three are also facing charges, but have not yet been arrested:

35. Augusto Camacho, 62, Newburgh, NY

36. Jermaine Boykin, 39, Newburgh, NY

37. Luis Pena, 31, Newburgh, NY

More than 200 law enforcement agents fanned out in one of the largest series of raids ever in Orange County.

Officials seized over $100,000 in cash, weapons and cocaine, drugs they say were meant to hit the streets.

"The heroin, cocaine, PCP, they kill people and people get killed because of it," said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler. "Law enforcement's primary job in the heroin epidemic has to be to cut supply and that is what we did here."