Members of Queens-based drug trafficking crew indicted for heroin trafficking conspiracy, kidnapping, firearms offenses
NEW YORK — Members of a drug trafficking organization that imported heroin from Ecuador through John F. Kennedy Airport and distributed it throughout the New York City area were indicted for their participation in an international heroin trafficking conspiracy. The indictment announced Thursday stems from a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the New York Police Department (NYPD).
“Drugs and guns are a deadly combination and every seizure makes our community safer. These arrests and indictments demonstrate our relentless pursuit to remove drug traffickers from our streets,” said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Angel M. Melendez. “The safety of our communities is one of HSI’s top priorities. HSI and our state, federal, and local law enforcement partners pool information and resources to target drug smuggling and related criminal elements.”
“The defendants allegedly kidnapped and viciously assaulted a member of their crew after he was arrested in another case in order to enforce their control over the crew’s activities. As this prosecution demonstrates, we are committed to working closely with our local partners, including city, state, and federal law enforcement, to rid our communities of the ravages of drug trafficking and its related violence,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Robert L. Capers,
The following defendants were charged in the investigation: Gonzalo Erick Aguilar Vargas, also known as “Erick Aguilar” and “Erick Vargas,” Hillary Calle, Kiancin Lee, also known as “Mala,” Monica Vargas, and Ricky Vargas.
As alleged in the indictment, a member of the drug trafficking crew was arrested while picking up a parcel containing heroin sent from Ecuador through John F. Kennedy International Airport into Queens, New York. The crew member was released from law enforcement custody later that day. The following day, the defendants kidnapped the crew member and his female companion in Manhattan so that their leader, Gonzalo Erick Aguilar Vargas, could confront him regarding the lost parcel of heroin. Hillary Calle, Monica Vargas, and Ricky Vargas drove the two victims to New Jersey and then returned with them through Manhattan to Queens, where they waited for other crew members to arrive. Kiancin Lee and another crew member subsequently arrived and ordered the kidnapped crew member into a vehicle. When he refused, Ricky Vargas, Kiancin Lee, and the other crew member viciously assaulted him using firearms. The victim crew member ultimately escaped and his female companion was later released.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the EDNY Organized Crime and Gangs Section.
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