A major player in an Ulster County drug trafficking ring, Cecilio Wareham, age 48, from Queens, New York, has pled guilty to his involvement in distributing cocaine, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. The organization, busted by law enforcement, was responsible for pumping over 11 kilograms of cocaine and hundreds of grams of cocaine base into neighborhoods around Kingston, New York, and further into Ulster County, which has led to Wareham now facing a minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, along with a possible fine of $10 million.
Wareham's pivotal role involved supplying cocaine to the likes of Greg Tejada for redistribution, acknowledging the delivery of over 2 kilograms of cocaine that was apprehended from Tejada in October 2024; the ring's operations were thoroughly disrupted following the seizure of over five kilograms of cocaine and 270 grams of cocaine base within the county acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III lauded the efficient coordination and relentless work of the federal, state, and local agencies in the investigation.
"This guilty plea sends a clear and unequivocal message: we will aggressively dismantle the drug-trafficking networks that threaten the safety of our communities," Sarcone stated, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel echoed this sentiment, stressing the collaboration and continuation of efforts to protect the public from the blight of these dangerous substances.
Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa praised the interagency cooperation that culminated in the successful dismemberment of the trafficking network and emphasized the ongoing commitment to safeguard neighborhoods from such illicit activities, the URGENT along with involved agencies such as HSI, FBI, and the New York State Police Special Investigations Unit, ensured through their joint effort that the justice system would have its day with Wareham and other accused individuals all of whom face substantial incarceration if convicted.
The remaining defendants are faced with charges that could lead to significant prison terms and the Homeland Security Task Force initiative underscores a broad-scale governmental allegiance designed to extinguish the operations of criminal cartels and organizations not only on American soil but internationally, focusing notably on human trafficking and crimes against children, with an eye for prosecuting and deporting violent criminal aliens from the United States.
