Wyandanch man accused of running opioid trafficking ring

<p>A Wyandanch man is facing federal charges for allegedly running an opioid trafficking ring.</p>

News 12 Staff

Sep 5, 2018, 3:22 PM

Updated 2,299 days ago

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A Wyandanch man is facing federal charges for allegedly running an opioid trafficking ring.
Authorities say Ismail Latif, 32, was for months dealing pills that he said were oxycodone but were actually a derivative of fentanyl.
Latif was arrested in a raid at his home on North 18th Street in Wyandanch by the DEA Heroin Enforcement Team.
According to the federal indictment, undercover DEA agents bought the fake oxycodone from an informant, who then led them to Latif. Agents then allegedly purchased hundreds of the fentanyl pills directly from Latif at his Wyandanch home, as well as one home in Mastic Beach.
Prosecutors say a secondary Wyandanch home on Andrews Avenue was Latif's stash house for the drugs.
Drug treatment experts say what Latif was allegedly selling could be lethal. Fentanyl, depending on how it's produced, can be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.
The DEA says this is the first public arrest made by their newly formed Heroin Enforcement Team. Early this year, teams were placed in six cities, including Cincinnati and Raleigh.
Latif was arraigned in Central Islip and held without bail.
Prosecutors say Latif has two prior felony trafficking convictions, and was allegedly selling drugs while out on parole.