Man arrested buying drugs with slaughtered pig

Detectives from the Syracuse Police Drug Unit spotted a unique drug transaction while conducting surveillance in the City of Syracuse on Thursday night. Police were keeping watch along the 200 block of Merriman Avenue when, at approximately 7:40pm, a fifty dollar bag of cocaine was sold for $10 and half a slaughtered pig.

Investigators say after the transaction was made, police moved in and arrested both the buyer and the seller. Police who were at the scene say a crowd gathered while the men were being handcuffed; when the detectives turned from the suspects, the slaughtered pig was gone.



The seller, Omar Veliz, 42, of Merriman Avenue was charged with criminal sale of controlled substance and criminal possession of controlled substance. He told police the pig was for a celebration he was planning for a relative who was being released from prison.

The cocaine buyer, Angelo Colon, 45, of Honeyhill Road in Fulton, was charged with criminal possession of controlled substance. He told police this was not the first time he’d driven to Syracuse with a slaughtered pig in the back of his van to trade for drugs.