In a disturbing exposure of local crime, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino, recently announced the arrests of two men, Mujahed Ali and Quirino Garcia Diaz, for allegedly conspiring to use an Inwood smoke shop as a front for narcotics trafficking. This illicit operation led to the takedown of six drug mills and the arrest of eight additional drug traffickers, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The investigation revealed that between August 2024 and October 2025, Ali and Garcia Diaz quickly moved to exploit their business to provide cutting agents and paraphernalia to regional drug operations. They sold these materials to an undercover officer who had explicitly communicated their intent to mix them with narcotics such as cocaine and heroin. Ali also advised which cutting agents would be best to use for increasing the potency of the drugs, for example suggesting "fish scale" to make cocaine "shine the most," according to the allegations in the complaint released by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
"Businesses, small or large, that engage in drug trafficking will be brought to justice," U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton stated, emphasizing the government's response to these illegal activities. Special Agent in Charge Tarentino highlighted the seriousness of the situation, noting, "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," as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The subsequent raids not only turned up huge quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, but also firearms and ammunition—pointing to the dangerous interlink between drugs and violence thriving in urban corners. Moreover, upon searching the smoke shop and an adjoining storage unit, law enforcement found rooms filled with paraphernalia and equipment used to mix, press, and package narcotics—a discovery that underscored the deceptive façade of legitimate enterprise these traffickers had put up.
Both Ali, a dual citizen of the United States and Yemen, and Garcia Diaz, a citizen of Mexico, now face a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty. It should be noted that these charges are merely accusations, with a presumption of innocence unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation received praise for its depth and efficiency, with the prosecution being handed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie L. Dang from the Narcotics Unit.
