January 9, 2026 In a chilling discovery that has sent shockwaves through Ozone Park, law enforcement has dismantled a sophisticated narcotics "super-lab" operating in plain sight—located directly across the street from PS 377Q, the S.T.A.R. Leadership Academy.
While children attended classes just yards away, investigators say three men were busy running industrial-grade machinery to churn out thousands of lethal counterfeit pills designed to look like legitimate medicine.
The "Death Factory" in Apartment 2
On Monday evening, the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force (NYDETF) executed a raid on a residence at 150-28 Raleigh Street. What they found inside wasn’t just a drug stash; it was a high-capacity manufacturing plant.
Police seized three industrial pill presses—including massive mechanical units capable of pumping out thousands of pills per hour. The apartment was littered with molds used to stamp fake oxycodone logos onto deadly mixtures of fentanyl.
The Haul of Poison included:
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10 pounds (4kg) of Fentanyl in both powder and pill form.
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6 pounds of Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Oxycodone.
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Piles of "rainbow" pills found in plain view on kitchen counters.
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A secondary storage unit packed with psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana.
"Callous Disregard for Life"
Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan didn't mince words, describing the operation as displaying a "boldness and callous disregard for life." The location was particularly egregious; the proximity to a public school meant that any chemical accident or neighborhood violence associated with the trade could have had catastrophic consequences for local students.
"This kind of reckless, criminal activity places our children and entire neighborhoods at risk," added Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
The Takedown: Three Men in Custody
The investigation, which spanned several months of surveillance, culminated in the arrest of three Queens residents:
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Isaiah Cruz, 26
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Brendan Lao, 26
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Adam Ehrlich, 24
