New York, NY – Federal authorities have charged 19 individuals in connection with a sprawling drug trafficking operation that turned Washington Square Park into an open-air narcotics market over the past five years. The coordinated crackdown, announced Thursday, is tied to at least 65 overdoses and two deaths since 2020 in one of Manhattan’s most iconic public spaces.
The Incident: Drug Market Thrived in the Heart of Greenwich Village
The indictment, unsealed in Manhattan federal court, details how a network of nearly 20 dealers operated openly in Washington Square Park, selling fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine at all hours.
According to U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, the group, known as WSP Enterprise, created a round-the-clock marketplace that flooded the park with deadly narcotics. Despite being arrested more than 80 times over five years, many dealers repeatedly returned to sell drugs after release under New York’s lenient bail laws.
“New York families want us to use all available resources to get deadly fentanyl off our streets,” said Clayton. “If you’re a drug trafficker operating in Washington Square or anywhere near our schools, we’re going to bring you to justice.”…