In a house near Disneyland, the FBI finds $2.3 million linked to drug ring

About a block from Disneyland, federal agents seized $2.3 million in cash that allegedly came from a drug-trafficking and money-laundering group with links to the hometown of the notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, authorities said.

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies found the cash after raiding an Anaheim home on May 5, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said. The home, located in the 1200 block of West Katella Avenue, is less than a block from the sprawling, iconic Orange County resort.

The home was among several locations targeted by the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and local law enforcement during a two-year-long investigation that has included wiretaps and surveillance, authorities said.

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Investigators also have identified several individuals they say are members of the drug ring, which is believed to have ties to Culiacan, the largest city in Mexico’s Sinaloa state and the hometown of the now-captured Guzman.

During the probe, agents seized a large amount of cash and narcotics, Eimiller said. No drugs were found inside the Anaheim residence, although agents suspected the home was a storage site for “large amounts of narcotics,” she said in a statement.

Several U.S. and international bank accounts also have been identified during the investigation, and agents are scrutinizing the financial records, she said.

Agents did not arrest anyone in connection with the Anaheim raid. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI’s field office in Los Angeles at (310) 477-6565

For breaking news in California, follow @MattHjourno

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