Fountain Valley police arrest suspected drug dealer, seize narcotics and cash

A Fountain Valley man was arrested and more than $44,000 in narcotics were seized late last month following and investigation into and surveillance of the suspect, Fountain Valley police announced Thursday.

Police arrested Minh Hien Tran, a 43-year-old Fountain Valley resident, on Nov. 25 following an alleged narcotics sale, according to a FVPD news release.

A person allegedly trying to buy drugs was also detained, police said, but their identity was not released.

Authorities executed a search warrant of Tran’s residence, discovering narcotics, digital scales and packaging materials, according to the news release.

They said they recovered 141.1 grams of ketamine, 94 grams of cocaine base, 79 grams of MDMA, 67.5 grams of cocaine and 13.4 grams of psilocybin.

Police also allegedly found 178 ecstasy pills, 83 capsules of an unknown powder and hundreds of suspected counterfeit pharmaceuticals, namely Adderall, alprazolam and hydrocodone. Officers also seized $3,232 in cash.

The estimated street value of the seized drugs exceeds $44,000, police said.

Tran faces four felony counts of possession with intent to sell cocaine, cocaine base, ketamine and methamphetamine.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges Monday, court records indicate. He was booked into the Orange County Jail, with bail set at $500,000.

Law enforcement previously arrested Tran in May, while responding to a call regarding a domestic dispute in the 16000 block of Rosewood Street and seized four firearms.

After executing a search warrant, police reported that they recovered 3,923 grams of illicit narcotics and $21,894.

Tran was booked on suspicion of manufacturing and possessing drugs with intent to sell, as well as possessing firearms while committing the crimes.

Police said additional complaints of narcotics sales were fielded in the months that followed, and on Nov. 14 the department’s Special Investigative Unit — through undercover surveillance — allegedly witnessed Tran conducting drug deals.

Officers detained one recipient, who handed over a package, police reported.

Officer Gannon Kelly and a police K9 unit, Pomix, found ketamine inside the package. Fountain Valley police obtained a search warrant for Tran’s residence and vehicle.

Another agency arrested Tran for alleged narcotics sales on Nov. 22. He was booked into the Orange County Jail and subsequently made bail, eventually pleading not guilty to four felony counts, including possession with intent to sell and transport or sale of a controlled substance, on Dec. 1, according to the FVPD.