Drug bust shuts down Brentwood restaurant; fake armed guard found working the floor

It started as a routine liquor compliance check.

But by the time it was finished, seven people were arrested, a Brentwood restaurant was shut down, and cops were handcuffing a man at his home on charges related to alleged drug dealing at the eatery.

Suffolk Police descended on La Costa Catracha Restaurant, located at 739 Suffolk Ave., early Saturday morning, uncovering alleged drug dealing inside the dining room and a phony armed security guard working the floor, cops said.

The joint operation involved Third Precinct detectives, the Suffolk Police’s Narcotics Section, the New York State Liquor Authority, and the Town of Islip fire marshal and building inspector.

The Fire Marshal deemed the establishment unsafe for occupancy and issued multiple summonses, effectively shutting it down.

The restaurant’s owner, Wilmer Mendez-Barrera, 44, of Brentwood, was hit with eight field appearance tickets for violations under the state Alcoholic Beverage Control law.

Police said an employee, Keshawn Matthews, 39, of Shirley, was working while dressed in an imitation tactical vest and carrying an imitation firearm. He was cited for operating as an unlicensed security guard under state General Business Law.

Additionally, four patrons were arrested on narcotics and weapons charges.

Andres Cabrera-Sanchez, 25, of Bay Shore faces the most serious allegations: second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, along with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the seventh degree.

Juana Flores, 47, of Central Islip was charged with three counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Maykol Escobar-Rivas, 18, of Central Islip faces one count of the same charge.

Christian Palacios-Ruiz, 18, of Brentwood was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and was issued a desk appearance ticket.

Detectives at the restaurant traced the alleged drug supply chain to a residence in Brentwood, where, while executing a search warrant, charged the resident, Josua Molina, 27, with third- and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Molina was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on Saturday.

Flores and Escobar-Rivas were also arraigned Saturday. Cabrera-Sanchez is being held at the Third Precinct and is due in court on Sunday. Mendez-Barrera and Matthews are scheduled to appear in Suffolk First District Court at a later date.

_{Top: 734 Suffolk Ave. in Brentwood (Google Maps Street View)}