Capistrano Beach Questioning Leads to Raid : $4.2 Million Seized in Drug Investigation

Cash totaling $4.2 million was seized by law enforcement officials during an investigation of a suspected drug-trafficking ring that was first spotted in Orange County, authorities said Wednesday.

No drugs were found, but a loaded .38-caliber handgun, ledgers, a money counter and cellular telephones were confiscated at an apartment in Montebello in Los Angeles County, said Orange County Sheriff’s Capt. Tim Simon, a spokesman for the Regional Narcotics Suppression Program.

Officers from the suppression program, involving 19 Southern California law enforcement agencies, first began following a man in a car who drove a circuitous route through Orange County and into Montebello, Simon said.

He then drove through Los Angeles and returned to Orange County before officers stopped him at about 4:30 p.m. Monday in Capistrano Beach near Interstate 5 and Camino de Estrella, Simon said.

After questioning the man, officers obtained a search warrant for the Montebello apartment, where the cash was found wrapped in construction paper.

A police dog trained to sniff narcotics gave an alert when it sniffed the money, indicating to officers that cocaine or other narcotics had come in contact with the cash, Simon said.

“We received evidence that the money was obtained (within) about a week’s time, and we pretty well think the narcotic involved was cocaine,” Simon said.

Simon said the driver denied a connection to the money, as did a second suspect at the Montebello residence. Both men, who are Mexican citizens, were released pending further investigation. Officials did not release the names of the men.

The seizure came after three weeks of investigation into a suspected drug-trafficking and money-laundering operation, Simon said.