6 to Face Court in $9-Million Cocaine Seizure

Five Colombians and a Puerto Rican, arrested after the seizure of $500,000 in cash and more than $9 million worth of cocaine in Encino and Agoura Hills, have been ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court on Nov. 10.

The five were arraigned Tuesday in Glendale Municipal Court on charges of possessing cocaine with intent to sell it.

Glendale and Burbank police, agents of the U. S. Customs and Internal Revenue services, and a drug-sniffing dog and handler loaned by the Port Hueneme Police Department raided houses on White Oak Place in Encino and Meadow Vista Way in Agoura Hills last Thursday, said Glendale Police Sgt. Steve Campbell.

They found 73 pounds of cocaine, he said, and “a little more than $500,000” in cash.

He identified those arrested as Pedro Guzman, 43, of Puerto Rico and five Colombians: Dora Garcia, 22, Lucy Gutierrez, 41, Carlos Cobo, 36, Alfredo Garcia, 65, and Harold Gonzalez, 41.

Bail for Gutierrez, Garcia and Gonzalez was set at $2 million and bail for the others was set at $1 million, Campbell said.

Although the raids took place in Los Angeles, they were headed by Glendale officers “because the investigation began in Glendale with information we received,” Campbell said. Details of the investigation were not made public, he said, “because we think there may be some more arrests.”

The seizures brought the total amount of cocaine confiscated by Glendale officers this year to almost 2,000 pounds, he said, including two seizures of more than 800 pounds each.