Local News in Brief : Authorities Get Drug Cash
Nearly $700,000 seized from drug dealers in Los Angeles County was presented to Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block and Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl F. Gates at the federal building in Westwood.
Richard T. Bretzing, special agent in charge of the FBI office in Los Angeles, commended the officials for the efforts of their departments in seizing the illicit funds. He presented U.S. Treasury checks totaling $188,749 to Block and $508,707 to Gates.
Under a federal program, local law enforcement agencies share in money and property seized during drug investigations.
Block and Gates said the money will be spent in the fight against drugs, which, according to Bretzing, resulted in the seizure of 22,000 pounds of cocaine in Los Angeles County last year.
Bretzing said there is reason to believe that Los Angeles closely trails Miami in cocaine trafficking.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
