L.B. man charged in major drug arrest

Long Beach police arrested Carlos Puca, 29, of Long Beach, in the early morning hours of July 20 and charged him with two felony counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and one misdemeanor count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 7th degree.

According to police, officers Rocco Walsh and Joseph Wiemann spotted Puca loitering and acting suspicious on National Boulevard. The officers reportedly observed a bag of cocaine on the suspect while he was fidgeting with his pockets. A search of Puca yielded 50 bags of heroin, a quantity of cocaine and one Xanax pill. Additionally, he was in possession of $1,300 in cash.

Police Commissioner Michael Tangney praised the work of officers Walsh and Wiemann for getting the drugs off of the streets. “The use of heroin and other drugs continues to be a rampant problem throughout Long Island that has been destructive to families,” he said. “The diligence of these two police officers furthers our goal of removing all drugs from our community. Combating heroin use, and fully prosecuting any individuals caught supplying heroin to our City, remains a top priority for this Department.”

“The LBPD continues to do a phenomenal job keeping illicit drugs off the streets and out of the hands of our children,” City Councilmember Eileen J. Goggin said. “We are extremely proud of the work our officers do every single day to protect us and keep us safe.”