Four Charged in Major Drug Bust Linked to New Jersey Trafficking Network
New Jersey drug trafficking ring authorities say operated across the United States has been dismantled following the arrest of four suspects and the seizure of large quantities of narcotics, firearms, and cash.
Federal and state officials announced Tuesday that investigators charged four Bergen County residents with operating a large-scale drug trafficking organization. The investigation was led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Task Force, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, and multiple law enforcement agencies.
Prosecutors identified the defendants as Kwang Joo, 40, of Palisades Park; Hannah Oh, 29, also of Palisades Park; Sung Sohn, 45, of Englewood Cliffs; and Benjamin Oser, 41, of Fort Lee.
Authorities allege that Joo served as the organizer of the operation, coordinating the distribution of multiple narcotics including cocaine, ketamine, MDMA (ecstasy), Adderall, Xanax, psilocybin mushrooms, oxycodone, marijuana, and a synthetic drug known as tusi, often referred to as “pink cocaine.”
Investigation Into the New Jersey Drug Trafficking Ring
According to court documents, investigators began examining the New Jersey drug trafficking ring in January 2026. Detectives from the New Jersey State Police Drug Trafficking North Unit observed Joo meeting an associate in Palisades Park on January 14.
Authorities said Joo handed the individual a large black duffel bag that was placed inside a vehicle. Police later stopped the vehicle in Paterson and conducted a lawful search that uncovered approximately nine kilograms of cocaine.
The investigation expanded in early February when detectives conducted surveillance on a suspected narcotics stash location tied to the organization.
On February 6, investigators tracked Oser—identified as one of Joo’s primary couriers—after he allegedly collected multiple bags from Joo in Palisades Park. Oser was arrested in Queens, New York, and authorities discovered 14 kilograms of cocaine in the vehicle he was driving.
Massive Drug and Cash Seizures
Law enforcement officials said the operation uncovered additional transactions involving the suspects. In one instance, prosecutors allege that Joo provided Sohn with a suitcase containing roughly 33 kilograms of cocaine.
Search warrants executed during the investigation led to the seizure of large quantities of narcotics, weapons, and cash.
Authorities reported confiscating:
- 57 kilograms of cocaine
- 1 kilogram of ketamine
- 250 grams of tusi (“pink cocaine”)
- 880 grams of MDMA
- 1,675 grams of psilocybin mushrooms
- 38,337 Adderall pills
- 332 Xanax pills
- 42 oxycodone pills
- approximately five pounds of marijuana
- three firearms and high-capacity ammunition magazines
- $520,000 in cash
Officials said the seizures disrupted a major narcotics supply chain that had been distributing drugs throughout New Jersey and beyond.
Officials Highlight Impact of Bust
Christopher Roberts, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA New York Task Force Division, said the arrests demonstrate the agency’s ongoing efforts to dismantle narcotics networks.
“Targeting organizations responsible for flooding communities with illicit narcotics is central to our mission,” Roberts said, noting the collaboration between federal, state, and local agencies.
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport described the operation as a sophisticated trafficking network generating large amounts of illegal cash through drug distribution.
Authorities emphasized that cases like this require months of surveillance, coordination, and investigative work to disrupt supply chains and remove dangerous drugs from communities.
Potential Sentences
Prosecutors charged Joo with first-degree conspiracy and multiple drug distribution offenses. Under New Jersey law, first-degree crimes carry potential sentences of 10 to 20 years in state prison and fines of up to $200,000.
Other charges filed in the case range from second-degree to fourth-degree offenses, which could carry penalties from several years in prison to fines and shorter sentences.
Officials noted that the charges remain allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
