Fullerton Police Lead Raids to Net $60 Million in Cocaine

Fullerton police announced Tuesday the single largest drug seizure in the city’s history: 340 pounds of cocaine valued at about $60 million.

Officers also seized $380,000 in cash and arrested 11 people--several of them related to each other--on various drug-trafficking charges during raids Monday at four Los Angeles County homes, detectives said.

“These were nice homes, in nice residential areas,” Fullerton Police Capt. Donald Bankhead said. “These were major drug traffickers, not lower-level people. They were moving the drugs, selling the drugs.”

Besides the satisfaction of making the arrests, detectives said, the city now stands to receive a sizable chunk of the cash seized because of federal and state laws that allow law enforcement agencies to recover money and assets that can be tied to drug sales.

Before Drug Was Cut

Fullerton narcotics officers handled the case because they had developed information about the suspects as a result of another investigation 10 months ago, they said. Hamilton said they confiscated nearly pure cocaine, before it had been cut for distribution.

Bankhead said Fullerton detectives didn’t locate what one described as “these key players” until a week ago.

After several days of surveillance at the four homes--in Bellflower, South Gate, Pomona and Long Beach--search warrants were obtained, detective Kevin Hamilton said.

Beginning at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Hamilton said, about 30 officers arrived at the homes at about the same time, serving the warrants. Officers from Brea, Anaheim and Downey police departments participated in both the arrests and the preceding surveillances, Hamilton said.

At the Bellflower home, police seized 48 kilos of cocaine, $250,000 cash, a 9-millimeter automatic pistol and several other firearms.

Hamilton said five people were arrested at that home on suspicion of possession of cocaine for sales and conspiracy to distribute cocaine: Miguel Beltran Nunez, 33, considered the “ringleader”; Jose J. Martinez, 22; Jaime E. Nunez, 19; Teresa D. Nunez, 24, and Leticia M. Nunez, 19.

After officers searched that home, Fullerton police dog Harras entered and smelled something in a closet, Bankhead said. Detectives found floorboards that had been removed and then re-nailed shut, and beneath them eight of the kilos of cocaine and the cash, Bankhead said.

Officers grew curious quickly at the disparity between the nice neighborhood and Miguel Nunez’s home, whose windows and doors were protected by wrought-iron bars and a heavy security system, Hamilton said. There were also two adult pit bullterriers in the back yard, along with eight pups, he said.

“It just looked like they were protecting more than they would appear to have from the surface,” he said.

Eugino Vasquez, 50, was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine for sale and criminal conspiracy in South Gate, where officers said they seized about $25,000 cash, plus several “firearms and handguns.”

In Pomona, officers said they found about 100 kilos of cocaine and $100,000 cash. Arrested there on the same charges were Alejandrina Nunez, 37; Maribel Rodriguez, 20, and Severo Nunez, 41.

At the Long Beach address, police said they arrested Pedro Samiano, 29, and Maria Contreras, 29, on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale and conspiracy to distribute it. About 2 pounds of marijuana and $5,000 cash were seized at the home, police said.

All of the suspects were being held without bail at Fullerton City Jail.

Two cars were also seized. By law police can keep such vehicles as their own if drug suspects they arrest are convicted. “Unfortunately,” Hamilton said, “they were older cars, sedans.”