HUNTINGTON BEACH : $500,000 in Cocaine, 10 Suspects Seized
Huntington Beach police Thursday announced the arrests of 10 people and seizure of cocaine valued at more than $550,000.
The announcement of the arrests, made in two separate raids in the past week, was delayed pending a continuing investigation, police said.
Officers working with agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested four Colombian nationals and seized five kilograms of cocaine valued at $500,000 after searching a house in West Covina, the result of a three-month undercover investigation, said Lt. Patrick Gildea.
Gildea said charges against the four Colombians, arrested a week ago, are pending in federal court.
On Tuesday, narcotics officers arrested six people after receiving an anonymous tip that a drug ring was being operated from a Huntington Beach motel, Gildea said.
He said police obtained a warrant after witnessing what appeared to be drug transactions from the motel room. After serving a search warrant, police seized a pound of cocaine valued at $50,000, paraphernalia used in the manufacture and smoking of “rock” cocaine, and $2,000 in cash, Gildea said.
Arrested and booked on suspicion of conspiracy to sell cocaine were Timothy Soto, 26, Byron Navarez, 33, John Acosta, 31, Michael Hoffman, 26, Leona Alaniz, 19, and Brandi Knapp, 23.
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