NEW YORK - Federal authorities announced charges against Eduardo Andino, Omar Aponte, and Wilfredo Aquino in connection with the seizure of approximately 350 kilograms of cocaine. The wholesale value of the cocaine is more than $13,000,000.

On Wednesday, special agents and other law enforcement officers were conducting surveillance in Bayonne, New Jersey. During their surveillance, they observed two cocaine transactions, both of which involved the three suspects, and a warehouse located in Bayonne.

During a search of the warehouse and of Aponte’s and Aquino’s cars, 351 brick-shaped packages were seized. In the warehouse, some of the packages were concealed in shipping palettes that contained bamboo flooring. Packages seized from each of the cars and the warehouse tested positive for the presence of cocaine. Each of the brick-shaped packages contains approximately 1 kilogram of cocaine.

The defendants are each charged with conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, and face a maximum of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment, and a maximum $10,000,000 fine. The three defendants are being held without bail.

The information provided by federal authorities did not list ages or addresses for the three defendants.