Federal agents say a Bedford‑Stuyvesant apartment in Brooklyn was serving as a fentanyl "pill mill" in April, until a raid shut it down. Inside, investigators report finding industrial tablet presses, kilogram presses and firearms, and they arrested two men who are now in federal custody. Authorities allege the lower‑floor unit was used to mix, press and package counterfeit pills, some of which can contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. The men are charged in a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York.
RT @DEAHQ: #MakingTheCaseMonday @DEANewYorkDiv investigation led to the seizure of two pill press machines and two kilo press machines, whi…
— DEA Seattle (@DEASeattle) May 5, 2026
What Agents Say They Found
According to the DEA, agents executing a search warrant on April 13 recovered an automated tablet press that can crank out roughly 4,800 tablets an hour, a hand‑operated tablet press, two kilogram presses, mixing equipment, dies and multiple sealed packages that field‑tested positive for fentanyl. The seizure was highlighted on X by DEAHQ and re‑shared by DEA Seattle, as seen in the post embedded above.
Who Is Charged And The Federal Counts
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan says Kareem Antoine Turner, 47, of Brooklyn, and Alexander Daravina, 45, of the Bronx, were arrested on April 13. They are charged with conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and with using firearms in furtherance of a drug‑trafficking offense, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Evidence From Phones And Supplier Records
The criminal complaint describes an evidence trail pulled from iCloud accounts, phones and shipping records, including photos and videos of pills and presses, as well as messages about ordering "Firmapress" dye. Investigators also point to records for kilogram‑level shipments sent to a Brooklyn address. As the complaint puts it, the defendants "converted a residential apartment in Brooklyn into a 'Pill Mill,'" and agents say machines, powders and firearms were recovered inside. Prosecutors filed the complaint and supporting exhibits in April, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Why The Presses Matter
Pill presses and kilogram presses allow traffickers to turn relatively small amounts of fentanyl into large quantities of counterfeit pills that mimic legitimate prescription medications, which sharply increases the risk of fatal overdoses. For background on how pill‑press equipment is used to produce counterfeit pills, see the DEA.
The defendants remain detained pending federal proceedings. Prosecutors say the case is being handled by the SDNY narcotics unit. As with all defendants, the charges are allegations and the men are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court.
