Police Seize $30 Million in Cocaine, Arrest 12 in Sweep

Glendale police and federal drug agents seized 726 pounds of cocaine and arrested 12 suspected drug dealers in a series of related busts early Friday.

Ten Colombian nationals and two U. S. citizens involved in what police allege was a “coast-to-coast drug-smuggling operation” were arrested at four locations. The drugs, with an estimated street value of $30 million, were seized in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

Lt. Mike Post, commander of the Glendale Police Department’s narcotics bureau, described the seizure as a major bust but sought to avoid overstating its significance. Using an analogy, Post said: “If this was a department store chain, we took down one of their branch stores.”

The arrests were made as authorities served five search warrants obtained after a one-week investigation, which began when an informant passed a tip to police.

Glendale police first began surveillance of an apartment at 1132 Rosedale Ave., Post said. With the aid of federal Drug Enforcement Administration officials, police expanded their surveillance to locations in Upland, Anaheim Hills and Rowland Heights. Upland is in San Bernardino County and Anaheim Hills is in Orange County.

Packaged Coffee

Police made arrests in Rowland Heights at a truck park near where men loaded the drug, disguised as packaged coffee, onto a truck and at a nearby motel. Authorities confiscated 660 pounds at that site. Another 66 pounds were taken from a passenger vehicle in Upland.

Police also seized an 18-wheel truck, valued between $100,000 and $150,000, in which the drug was to be transported, Post said.

Arrested were Raphael Lopez, 29, of Glendale; Lourdes Campos, 30, and John Patrick Hall, 29, both of Upland, and Miami residents Carlos Jaramillo, 24; Elkin Restrepo, 26; Mario Bedoya, 44; Julio Castano, 43, and Carlos Conde, 42. Also arrested were Eugenio Vidal, 28, of Coconut Grove, Fla.; Pedro Martinez, 41, a Puerto Rican now of Miami; Angela Monsalve, 22, of Cococabana, Colombia, and Fabian Tamayo, 19, of Medillin, Colombia.

Hall and Martinez are U. S. citizens, police said.

All were charged with possession of cocaine for sale and conspiracy. They were being held at the Glendale Police Department with bail ranging from $500,000 to $2 million.

Friday’s bust comes two months after Glendale police seized 1,000 pounds of Colombian cocaine with an estimated street value of $92 million at a Reseda apartment.