Police Seize 150 Pounds of Cocaine, Arrest 4 in Raids

Fullerton and Anaheim police confiscated 150 pounds of cocaine and arrested four people suspected of trying to sell it in raids ending Wednesday at three Los Angeles County residences.

Police also seized assault-style weapons and $250,000 in cash suspected of being linked to drugs at homes in Artesia, Bell and Paramount.

The police agencies were led to the contraband by people suspected of being drug dealers whom the officers first observed in the Fullerton area early Tuesday during a separate drug investigation, Fullerton Police Capt. Lee DeVore said.

“Through the day we saw enough activity in transferring of drugs into cars and switching cars that we were able to get search warrants for three residences,” said DeVore, whose department headed the investigation.

After obtaining search warrants from a Downey Municipal Court judge on Tuesday night, DeVore said 23 police officers conducted the raids in teams without incident.

Most of the cocaine was discovered in the Artesia residence, as were the money and weapons, DeVore said. Police seized two AK-47 assault rifles and several semiautomatic handguns. Three of the four suspects were also arrested at the Artesia residence. A fourth was detained at the Bell residence.

Booked into the Fullerton City Jail on suspicion of sale of cocaine were: Jorge Cano, 27, of Artesia; his wife, Maria, 21; Jose Lopez, 21, of Los Angeles, and Jose Heras, 28, of Bell. All four were being held under $1-million bonds for each.

Fullerton police estimated the street value of the cocaine at $22 million. They said the seizure ranked as their second largest, behind the March, 1988, confiscation of 330 pounds of cocaine. The drugs will be held as evidence and then destroyed, DeVore said. The $250,000 suspected of being drug money may be returned to local police for their use in future drug investigations, he added.

DeVore said the cocaine seized this week apparently originated in Colombia, as “Republic of Colombia” was stamped on sacks containing the powdery white drug. Two of the suspects, Cano and his wife, are of Colombian descent, DeVore said.