Brea : Police Seize $110,000, Drugs Worth $6 Million

About 42 pounds of cocaine valued at $6 million and an additional $110,000 in cash were confiscated by undercover narcotics officers from the cities of Brea and Fullerton after three suspected drug dealers led investigators to a Reseda apartment, authorities said Thursday.

The three men--all Peruvian nationals--may be involved in a drug smuggling ring from South America that brought cocaine across the Mexican border and into Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego counties, Brea narcotics officer Michael Messina said.

The three were arrested Wednesday night after officers met Arturo Vetter Delsolar, 27, of Huntington Beach at a restaurant near the Brea Mall to negotiate the sale of about a pound of cocaine for $22,000, Brea police spokeswoman Sally Snyder said.

After introducing officers to the second suspect, identified as Fernando Javier Chocano, 32, of Glendale, Delsolar allegedly led investigators to the Reseda apartment of Jose Francisco Martinez, 32, where the officers found 41 pounds of cocaine and the cash, Snyder said.

All three men were booked into Fullerton City Jail, where they were being held Thursday in lieu of $2 million bail each, authorities said. No arraignment date has been scheduled.

The arrests ended a joint, six-month investigation led by the Brea and Fullerton narcotics units. Eight other local and federal law enforcement agencies also were involved in the case, Snyder said.