Feds announce huge meth bust involving several South Bay agencies
In what prosecutors are calling one of the biggest methamphetamine busts ever in the nation, 570 pounds of the drug was seized and 11 arrested last week after a large operation that involved several South Bay police agencies.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, an indictment was handed down by a federal grand jury on Nov. 29, and the following day agents made the arrests and confiscated the drugs, along with 10 guns, seven vehicles and $160,000 in cash. The street value of the meth is estimated at more than $6 million.
While officials did not release names of those arrested or further information about where the busts took place, agencies involved in the operation, led by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, included the police departments of San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Morgan Hill and Gilroy, as well as the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and Santa Clara County Specialized Enforcement Team.
Three bureaus of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration were involved, as well as agencies from Merced, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus and Yolo counties.
All defendants appeared in federal court in San Jose on Friday and have further hearings scheduled later this week. Charges include conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit international money laundering. They were also indicted on charges of weapons and immigration violations.
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