San Diego
Two Los Angeles County men have been indicted on cocaine trafficking charges that involved a sale that was mostly drywall plaster.
The defendants, Nestor Martinez, 37, of Downey and Arcesio Escobar-Benitez, 32, of Sherman Oaks, have pleaded not guilty and were ordered held without bail in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown San Diego.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Amalia Meza said Thursday that the defendants were arrested Jan. 9 after showing an undercover U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent several suitcases purportedly containing 330 pounds of cocaine.
Meza said an analysis of the material showed it contained 13 pounds of the drug and mostly drywall plaster for the rest.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
