A Deer Park man was indicted for trafficking a lethal amount of fentanyl that the district attorney’s office said was enough to kill 2.5 million people.
Adriano Abreu Bonifacio, 39, of Deer Park, was indicted for Operating as a Major Trafficker and Criminal Possession of the Controlled Substance in the First Degree, for allegedly possessing five kilograms of fentanyl that he accepted as a package sent through a multinational shipping company.
On December 17, 2024, the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Suffolk County Police Department became aware of a suspicious package that had been shipped from Paramount, California to Adriano Abreu Bonifacio’s Deer Park home under a pseudonym. The package had been flagged by a California law enforcement agency and later turned over to the Suffolk County Police Department by the United Parcel Service, Inc. for further investigation.
Suffolk County Police Department’s narcotics-trained canine “Champ” indicated a positive alert to the presence of a narcotic odor. After further examination, the package was confirmed to have contained five kilograms of fentanyl.
On December 18, 2024, a member of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force was assigned to deliver the package to Bonifacio under the cover of being a delivery driver. When Bonifacio began interacting with the undercover officer who was delivering the package, Bonifacio allegedly pointed to a white box that was addressed to a “Miguel Perez.” At that time, the officer had two packages with him: one in a white box (the target package), and another in a brown box. The investigation later revealed that no such person resided at the address. The officer asked Bonifacio if he was “Miguel Perez,” and Bonifacio allegedly identified himself as a friend of the intended recipient and further allegedly stated that “Miguel Perez” had authorized him to accept the package. Bonificio was placed under arrest after he allegedly accepted the package and provided his New York State driver’s license to the delivery driver to scan and confirm receipt.
A laboratory analysis of the contents confirmed the package contained five kilograms of fentanyl — an amount deadly enough to kill more than 2.5 million people, nearly enough to kill every resident living in Nassau and Suffolk Counties combined.
On February 5, 2025, Bonifacio was arraigned on the indictment before, before County Court Judge Philip Goglas, for the following charges contained in the indictment:
- one count of Operating as a Major Trafficker, a Class A-1 felony
- one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, a Class A-1 felony
- one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class B felony
Goglas ordered Bonifacio held on $500,000 cash, $1 million bond or $5 million partially secured bond.
“This indictment represents our office’s unwavering commitment to combating the fentanyl overdose crisis,” said Suffolk DA Ray Tierney. “Our office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who import and distribute this poison into our community.”
Bonificio’s next court date is March 13, 2025, and he faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted on the top count.