Two Men Arrested For Conspiring To Facilitate Narcotics Trafficking Out Of An Inwood Smoke Shop

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Frank A. Tarentino, announced today the unsealing of Complaints charging MUJAHED ALI and QUIRINO GARCIA DIAZ with conspiracy to distribute narcotics.  The defendants were arrested yesterday in Manhattan, and GARCIA DIAZ was arrested at their Inwood smoke shop, from which they sold drug traffickers a variety of drug paraphernalia, including cutting agents—i.e., substances added to narcotics to increase their volume (and thus their saleable quantity) and to modify their effects.  The investigation of the smoke shop led agents to multiple large-scale narcotics mills and other drug operations in Manhattan, the Bronx, and New Jersey and the seizures of large volumes of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well as multiple firearms.  The defendants will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.

“Businesses, small or large, that engage in drug trafficking will be brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “As alleged, this Inwood smoke shop helped traffickers pump lethal narcotics into our city.  New Yorkers want this stopped and we hear them.”

“Once again, we see the reckless lengths individuals are willing to go as they conspire, distribute, and profit from the sale of fentanyl, a drug that is singlehandedly destroying our communities and devastating families,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino.  “The alleged use of a smoke shop to conceal their narcotics trafficking, which in turn led to the discovery of six drug mills, underscores their willingness to sacrifice the safety of our neighborhoods for personal gain.  Illicit narcotic mills have no place in our communities, and the DEA will continue to do everything we can to eliminate these operations and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.”  

According to the allegations contained in the Complaints:

Between in or about August 2024 and in or about October 2025, ALI, GARCIA DIAZ, and others used the Inwood smoke shop to sell cutting agents and drug paraphernalia to drug traffickers, who would then use the smoke shop’s products to increase their quantities of narcotics and package them for sale.  ALI, GARCIA DIAZ, and their co-conspirators sold cutting agents to an undercover officer who explicitly indicated that he was purchasing those substances to mix with narcotics, including cocaine and heroin. ALI and his co-conspirators also gave suggestions on which cutting agents to use with certain types of narcotics. For example, on one occasion, ALI suggested that an undercover officer purchase and use a particular cutting agent, fish scale, to mix with the undercover officer’s cocaine because fish scale would make his drug product “shine the most.”

Over the course of the approximately 14-month period during which ALI, GARCIA DIAZ, and their co-conspirators sold cutting agents and drug paraphernalia from the Inwood smoke shop, law enforcement investigated customers who had appeared to purchase cutting agents and/or drug paraphernalia from the shop and identified at least six narcotics mills as well as other locations where narcotics were being stored.  This led to the arrests of at least eight drug traffickers, including owners and operators of narcotics mills, and the seizure of bulk quantities of narcotics, including fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, in addition to multiple firearms and ammunition that the traffickers possessed in connection with their drug businesses.

Below are photographs of certain of the narcotics mills that ALI, GARCIA DIAZ, and their co-conspirators supplied with cutting agents and/or drug paraphernalia sold out of the Inwood smoke shop:

Fentanyl Seized from a Manhattan Narcotics Mill Searched on August 14, 2024

Fentanyl and Heroin Seized from a Bronx Narcotics Mill on August 27, 2024

Fentanyl Seized from a Bronx Narcotics Mill on September 11, 2024

Cocaine Seized from a Bronx Narcotics Mill on September 16, 2024

Fentanyl Seized from a New Jersey Narcotics Mill on October 16, 2024 

Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Three Loaded Firearms, and Ammunition Seized from a Bronx Narcotics Mill on August 11, 2025

Following the defendants’ arrests, law enforcement searched the Inwood smoke shop and a storage unit next to the shop that was used by the defendants. Inside the storage unit, law enforcement found a room full of narcotics cutting agents and another room full of drug paraphernalia and equipment used to mix, press, and package narcotics, including three kilogram presses used to press narcotics powder into kilogram-sized bricks, numerous sifters, grinders, scales, and hundreds of thousands of glassine envelopes, small vials, and small plastic bags, all commonly used to package narcotics.  Below are photographs of the room containing narcotics cutting agents: 

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ALI, 41, a citizen of the United States and Yemen, and GARCIA DIAZ, 35, a citizen of Mexico, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Field Division.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie L. Dang is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.