Cash, Arms, $1 Million in Cocaine Seized; 3 Held

Authorities investigating an alleged drug lab in Anaheim arrested three people and seized an estimated $1 million in cocaine, $156,000 in cash and several weapons, officials said Wednesday.

The alleged drug lab was not found during the raid Monday morning, said Bob Gore, a spokesman for the state Corrections Department. The cash was discovered at the Anaheim home and documents also found there led officers to homes in Tustin and Santa Ana, where the guns and 22 pounds of cocaine were found, Gore said.

Parolee Arrested

Andrew Mike Salazar, 32, and his stepbrother, Michael Salazar, 34, both of Bakersfield, and Ana Guell, 29, of Anaheim were booked into Anaheim City Jail.

Andrew Salazar, who served a state prison sentence for narcotics and robbery convictions, was being held without bail for violating his parole, said Anaheim Police Sgt. Vince Howard. Both Salazars were booked on suspicion of possessing automatic weapons and cocaine for sale, Howard said. Police said Guell, who lived at 203 E. South St., the home that was raided, was being held on suspicion of harboring a fugitive.

Bail for her and Michael Salazar was set at $500,000.

According to Gore, special Corrections Department agents in El Monte learned that the stepbrothers were allegedly operating a drug lab and “dealing in automatic weapons in Anaheim.”

Agents Raid Home

Eight special agents--accompanied by Anaheim police officers, Orange County sheriff’s deputies, federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms investigators and a member of the state Franchise Tax Board--charged the South Street home about 8:30 a.m. Monday, Gore said.

They believed that Andrew Salazar was living at the 203 E. South St. home where he was arrested, and because he is a parolee, the agents are allowed to conduct an unannounced search and seizure of his residence, Gore said.

Along with a pistol and the cash, officers found ledgers and other paper work in Guell’s home indicating that narcotics and explosives were hidden at two other homes, Gore and investigators said.

Weapons, Cocaine Found

Search warrants were obtained for homes in Tustin and Santa Ana.

No one was at the Tustin home, Gore said, but an automatic rifle, a live hand grenade, five large caliber handguns and several automatic pistols were seized there.

Gore said the cocaine was found in a parked car at the Santa Ana home.