State Police Seize Drugs in Syracuse Raid
Five people were arrested after a search warrant was executed at a Syracuse residence as part of a joint narcotics investigation.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Drug Crime
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New York State Police arrested five individuals following a search warrant execution at 140 Hope Avenue in Syracuse. All five were arraigned in Onondaga County Centralized Arraignment Part Court.
Why it matters
The arrests and seizures target alleged narcotics trafficking in the Syracuse area, reflecting a joint effort between state police units and the FBI Syracuse office. The operation removed a significant quantity of multiple controlled substances from the residence.
Lemetrous Lavender, 42, of Syracuse, was charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor drug counts, and four adult defendants were remanded to the Onondaga County Justice Center without bail while a 16-year-old female was remanded to Hillbrook Juvenile Detention Center. The extraction does not indicate whether further charges are planned or whether any defendant has entered a plea.
The players
New York State Police
The state's primary law enforcement agency, which conducted the investigation through its Troop D Community Stabilization Unit and Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team.
FBI Syracuse Office
The Syracuse field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which participated in the joint narcotics operation.
The details
The arrests followed a search warrant executed at a residence at 140 Hope Avenue, the culmination of a joint narcotics investigation conducted by New York State Police Troop D units and the FBI Syracuse office. Investigators seized cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, heroin, oxycodone pills, MDMA, psilocybin mushrooms, Suboxone strips, five New York State benefit cards issued to unrelated individuals, and $2,595 in U.S. currency.
Timeline
November 5, 2026: New York State Police arrested five individuals after executing the search warrant.
November 10, 2026: State Police published an announcement of the arrests.
Legal Context
The operation reflects the joint state-federal narcotics enforcement model used by the New York State Police Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team, which pairs state troopers with federal agents against drug distribution. Cases of this type are typically prosecuted in county courts, as this one was through the Onondaga County Centralized Arraignment Part.
Residents near Hope Avenue and across Syracuse may notice increased police presence as joint narcotics enforcement continues in the area. Anyone with information about drug activity can contact the New York State Police or the FBI Syracuse office.
The takeaway
Joint state and federal narcotics operations often rely on coordinated search warrants and multi-agency investigations to remove multiple controlled substances from circulation at once. Readers following local drug enforcement can track how these cases move through county arraignment courts.
Further reading
For more on similar cases, see Drug Crime coverage in Syracuse.
Source note: This article includes information reported by New York State Police.
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