
Divino Niño Daycare in the Bronx was unveiled as a front for a fentanyl operation, tragically resulting in the poisoning of four children, raising crucial community safety concerns.
At a Glance
- Felix Herrera Garcia ran a fentanyl operation out of a daycare, resulting in the poisoning of four children.
- Garcia attempted to flee to Mexico but was apprehended and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
- Two other individuals have been charged with federal narcotics offenses.
- The daycare doubled as a narcotics packaging site, endangering children entrusted to its care.
Illegal Operation Exposed
Felix Herrera Garcia orchestrated a fentanyl operation from Divino Niño Daycare, endangering young lives by storing drugs within a supposedly safe environment. The tragic fallout was uncovered when three children, left in the care of Grei Mendez, were found unresponsive, later confirmed as victims of fentanyl poisoning.
Garcia, in an attempt to evade capture, fled to Mexico, but was apprehended in California, highlighting the deceit intertwined in his actions. He subsequently pleaded guilty to narcotics charges, receiving a 45-year prison sentence.
#MakingtheCaseMonday: @DEANewYorkdiv @NYPDnews seized nearly 1K of fentanyl stored on top of children’s playmats at a daycare facility in the Bronx. Two individuals were charged with poisoning four children under the age of three, and one child died.https://t.co/9Bg9p7xmiY pic.twitter.com/mtXI1jDZAG
— DEA HQ (@DEAHQ) October 16, 2023
Community Shock and Legal Repercussions
The revelation that a daycare served as a narcotics front sent shockwaves through the Bronx community. The charges against Grei Mendez and Carlisto Acevedo Brito include federal narcotics offenses resulting in the death of a one-year-old boy, Nicholas Dominici.
“Parents entrusted Grei Mendez with the care of their children. As alleged, instead of diligently safeguarding the well-being of those children, she and her co-conspirators put them directly in harm’s way, running a narcotics operation and storing deadly fentanyl out of the very space in which the children ate, slept, and played. The disregard shown by Mendez and her co-conspirators for the lives of the children under her care is simply staggering.” stated U.S. Attorney Damian Williams
Mendez and Brito stored narcotics packaging equipment alongside children’s playmats, a horrifying breach of community trust. Both defendants face potential life sentences under accusations of facilitating the daycare’s dual function as a drug stash house.
Law Enforcement Response and Future Safeguards
The charges materialized through thorough work by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the DEA and NYPD. The presence of drugs at child-centric locations underscores an urgent need for strengthened vigilance and oversight across childcare settings.
“Tragedy doesn’t begin to describe the events that took place at Divino Niño Daycare. This death and drug poisonings are every parent’s worst nightmare and clearly define the danger fentanyl poses to every New Yorker. Fentanyl kills indiscriminately, and the defendants’ callous and irresponsible disregard to safety led to two of the most heinous acts imaginable, causing the death of a child and poisoning three other children. These crimes are unacceptable. I commend the work of the investigators from the DEA and NYPD and our partners at the Southern District of New York who work tirelessly every single day to stop drug poisonings from taking too many lives too soon.” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III
The Bronx case has starkly illustrated the grave dangers that illegal opioids pose to communities, necessitating a collective stance against drug-related crimes, especially those impacting our most vulnerable populations.