Cuomo’s bail reforms giving NY drug cartels a ‘big boost,’ top prosecutor claims

Gov. Cuomo and Albany lawmakers have virtually rolled out the welcome mat to Mexican drug cartels with their new bail reforms, according to someone who should know — New York City’s top narcotics prosecutor.

“They’re giving a big boost to the cartel,” Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan told The Post. “It’s kind of a get-out-of-jail-free ticket to the people who are poisoning substance abusers in this state.

“If the governor and legislators put up a ‘Welcome to New York sign’ to the cartel, what are we going to do?”

Drug kingpins smuggling millions of dollars worth of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl into New York could walk free from arrests under the package of criminal-justice reforms included in the budget passed earlier this month, Brennan warned.

That’s because large-scale traffickers are regularly charged with minor drug crimes to keep them in custody while prosecutors build a case under the much harder to prove major trafficker charge.

But the new bill — which takes effect next year — eliminates cash bail for anyone charged with an A-1 level narcotics offense.

Only four people were indicted under a kingpin charge in 2018, whereas 143 defendants were charged under other A-1 level drug felonies.

Associates of dangerous drug cartels will not only walk free, but hundreds of traffickers held in prison will also be released when the law goes into effect on Jan. 1, Brennan warned.

“I can only imagine they were ill-informed about the impact of these changes,” she said of Albany lawmakers.

“We’re in the midst of an opioid epidemic. I just can’t wrap my head around it. It’s crazy.”

Staten Island state Sen. Diane Savino said the bill addressed the “inherent unfairness of the cash bail system” but that changes would have to be made to fix these loopholes.

“What I’m seeing now is we’re going to have to talk about amendments to address these other issues,” Savino told The Post.

Advocates claim changes to cash bail will reduce racial disparities and ease overcrowding of jails like Rikers Island.

But district attorneys have slammed the reforms which they say will let dangerous thugs roam free and endanger their victims.

“Many people accused with violent crimes — serious felonies — are going to be back on the street,” Staten Island DA Michael McMahon told The Post last week.

Cuomo’s office defended the bill, saying the governor is proud of the reforms which they said came after “extensive discussions” with all experts — including prosecutors.

“We carefully considered all of these views to ensure we advanced and ultimately enacted balanced reforms that were long overdue,” said Cuomo spokesman Jason Conwall.

“We’re proud of what will be accomplished through these reforms and firmly believe they will bring greater fairness and real justice to New York’s criminal justice system.”