LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Four people are under
arrest on drug charges and over 2,400 pounds of marijuana are off the streets
after an eight month investigation which police say was connected to a drug
cartel in Mexico known for violence.
LMPD says the arrests came after multiple
search warrants were served early Wednesday at two Okolona homes - one in the
6300 block of Hackberry Way and a second in the 10100 block of Winding River
Way.
In addition to the marijuana seized, Mitchell
said officers also confiscated approximately $1.6 million in cash.
"The money just kept coming from every
room in the house, the basement, upstairs, to first floor," said Lt. Rich
Pearson.
"Two o'clock in the morning, my kids
were actually in the driveway when it happened and police were coming up guns
were drawn," said neighbor Heather Reynolds. "They were really
freaked out."
Police arrested four people - Horacio D.
Magana, 22, Maritzein R. Rangel, 20, Evelia Macias-Farias, 39, and Elias
Vazquez-Garcia, 40 - are charged with trafficking in marijuana over five pounds
and engaging in an organized criminal syndicate. Police say they are all
illegal immigrants.
During a press conference Wednesday morning,
police linked the four people charged to the violent Zeta drug cartel. The
Zetas are considered by the U.S. government to be the most technologically
advanced, sophisticated, and dangerous cartel operating in Mexico.
Police say the suspects did a good job of
blending in and may have chose the area because Louisville is the 16th largest
city with major interstates running through.
"What they were doing is bringing the
drugs up from Mexico through whatever route they were taking," said Lt.
Pearson. "Louisville is a jump off point we believe they mass the drugs
here and distribute them to other locations. Some of it I'm sure was
distributed in Louisville. Other parts were distributed in Kentucky probably up
north."
Police say the marijuana has a street value
of more than two million dollars. The suspects will be in court on Friday.
A juvenile boy was found in the home. he's
now with family members
Copyright 2012 WAVE News. All rights
reserved.
Elias Vazquez-Garcia (Source: LMDC)
Rauda Rangel-Maritzein (Source: LMDC)
Horacio D. Magana (Source: LMDC)
Evelia Macias-Farias (Source: LMDC)
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