Ton of Cocaine, $6.2 Million Seized in Raids in Orange, L.A. Counties

U.S. Customs officials said Tuesday that sheriff’s deputies from Orange and Los Angeles counties seized a ton of cocaine and confiscated $6.2 million in cash during raids resulting in the arrest of 12 suspected drug dealers.

The arrests and seizures were part of a 2 1/2-month investigation called Operation Greensweep, a spokesman for U.S. Customs said. He declined to provide details.

Orange County Sheriff Brad Gates and Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block scheduled a press conference for this afternoon to discuss the drug raids.

The ton of cocaine is believed to be the second-largest amount of the drug seized in California. Los Angeles police confiscated more than a ton of the drug at two locations in August, 1987. More than 1,900 pounds of cocaine was seized in Los Angeles in March, 1987.