Washington Square Park is under heightened surveillance after 19 people were arrested on Thursday for involvement in a yearslong narcotics network that resulted in at least two fentanyl overdose deaths, according to federal officials.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the New York City Police Department said the individuals were involved in WSP Enterprise, the open-air drug market that operates out of the park — which reportedly distributed millions of doses of fentanyl, heroin and crack cocaine over nearly five years. To bolster police presence in the area, more than two dozen NYPD officers across various precincts now take shifts patrolling the park 24/7. In a statement to WSN, NYU spokesperson Joseph Tirella said the university is “pleased” to see increased law enforcement.
“Since last year, NYU has been an active participant with other local stakeholders, the city and law enforcement in addressing quality of life and safety concerns in and around Washington Square Park,” Tirella said. “We look forward to continuing to be part of the collective efforts along with the city in making improvements.”
The indictment alleged that fentanyl sold by the drug ring caused the fatal overdoses of an 18-year-old from Colorado and an unhoused 43-year-old who had been living in the park for years — both of which happened within a six-month span last year. Numerous other overdoses reportedly caused injuries and “created a substantial risk of death.”
CAS first-year and New York City native Racquel Vallarino told WSN that she noticed more police presence, but that she doesn’t expect it to effectively prevent drug activity in the park. Steinhardt sophomore Jisoo Choi also said the bust doesn’t change her perception of the park because “there’s always stuff happening” in the city.
“If you just keep walking, looking forward and talking to your friends, you most likely won’t get into anything,” Vallarino said. “There’s always gonna be more drugs. When one goes down, a whole bunch of others pop up.”
Prosecutors said WSP Enterprise members collaborated in overlapping teams to “control” the park area and establish a system that prevents police from interfering with the drug exchanges. They added that many in the group have formed mutual agreements to “maximize profits from their collective drug dealing while minimizing internal conflicts and evading law enforcement.”
Over the past five years, the individuals indicted have collectively been taken to custody more than 80 times for drug-related offenses, and the NYPD and medical workers have been alerted over 65 times for suspected overdoses in the park and surrounding blocks.
In March, NYU joined a task force made up of local lawmakers, businesses and nonprofit organizations that sought to address quality-of-life concerns related to drug use, mental health and homelessness in the park. President Linda Mills said at the time that joining the Village Interagency Task Force — part of an initiative spearheaded by Mayor Eric Adams — would help address “chronic and complex” issues in the area.
Last year, deaths related to drug overdoses in New York City decreased for the first time in four years. The city saw 3,046 such deaths in 2023, with fentanyl contributing to roughly 80%.
“Washington Square Park, like so many of our public spaces, should be a haven for all New Yorkers, not a marketplace for drugs and crime,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said in the indictment. “The DEA, NYPD and our law enforcement partners will no longer remain idle as individuals attempt to overtake our neighborhoods with drugs and violence. Those days are over.”
Contact Leena Ahmed at [email protected].