Multiple agencies uncover 500+ pounds of meth worth over $1M in railcar, SAPD says
K9 alerted authorities to railcar with drugs
Ivan Herrera, Digital Journalis
SAN ANTONIO – Multiple law enforcement agencies seized more than 500 pounds of methamphetamine found in a railcar, according to the San Antonio Police Department.
SAPD High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) detail, Drug Enforcement Administration HIDTA detail, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and Union Pacific Special Agents conducted a joint operation in San Antonio on Sunday morning. The seizure occurred at a Union Pacific railyard in the city.
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A narcotics detection K9 alerted authorities during a rail freight inspection to a railcar in transit.
Law enforcement officials found and seized more than 500 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of more than $1 million, according to SAPD. The location from which they were seized is part of an active investigation, SAPD said.
HIDTA detectives and agents will investigate further, according to SAPD.
Albuquerque police seize more than $1M in cash, drugs and guns
By KOB
Updated: February 17, 2025 – 11:01 PM
Published: February 17, 2025 – 1:14 AMPlay Video
Albuquerque police seize more than $1M in cash, drugs and guns
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque Police Department officers went to serve a routine arrest warrant at a motel at Menaul and University NE.
They ended up discovering a cache of cash, drugs and guns worth more than $1 million.
Officers were on a routine patrol when they spotted a vehicle belonging to Merena Perez, who had a felony warrant for robbery. After determining that she was staying in a room at the Red Roof Inn, officers approached and detained Perez outside.
One officer noticed through the open door, however, that there was drug paraphernalia and a firearm on the bed. The man in the room suddenly bolted out the door and a chase ensued.
Using a drone to spot him from above, officers were able to detain Xavier Garcia, who had several felony and misdemeanor warrants of his own.
Back at the original scene, officers swept the room and discovered $47,227 in cash, 522 grams of heroin, 2,344 grams of cocaine, 6,142 grams of fentanyl, three handguns and an AK-47 automatic rifle. The total street value of the drugs was more than $1 million.
Garcia and Perez were arrested on their warrants, with more charges pending from what was discovered in the room.
2 Hartford Residents Charged In Valentine’s Day Cocaine Bust: Police
The West Hartford Police Department assisted other law enforcement agencies in the investigation, with both suspects being held on $1M bond.
Michael Lemanski,Patch Staff
Posted Tue, Feb 18, 2025 at 1:57 pm ET
Hartford resident Karla Flores, 45, above, and Christian Burgos-Rodrigues, 30, were each charged in connection with a massive cocaine bust executed on Valentine’s Day following a lengthy state/city/federal probe. (Connecticut State Police)
Hartford resident Karla Flores, 45, and Christian Burgos-Rodrigues, 30, above, were each charged in connection with a massive cocaine bust executed on Valentine’s Day following a lengthy state/city/federal probe. (Connecticut State Police)
A multi-agency probe into cocaine trafficking in the Hartford area resulted in two packages of cocaine being delivered to a Hartford shipping facility. (Connecticut State Police)
HARTFORD, CT — Two Hartford residents are in custody as part of a major cocaine bust late last week, an operation that also included help from the West Hartford Police Department.
According to Connecticut State Police, Hartford residents Karla Flores, 45, and Christian Burgos-Rodrigues, 30, were each charged with conspriacy to commit sale of a controlled substance and risk of injury to a minor.
Flores and Burgos-Rodriguez were each held on a $1 million bond and were scheduled to appear at Hartford Superior Court on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Both were charged after police seized a package of cocaine worth approximately $600,000 on the street last Friday, Feb. 14, police said in a statement released Tuesday, Feb. 18.
State police released details Tuesday of a lengthy, multi-agency investigation involving several law enforcement agencies, including the WHPD.
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State police said that on Friday, Feb. 14, at about 9:30 a.m., members of the Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force, Hartford Police Department Vice & Narcotics Unit, West Hartford Police Department, and the Homeland Security Investigations Hartford BEST Team served a narcotics-related search warrant on Harvard Street in Hartford.
“This operation was the result of a long-term investigation of cocaine being shipped through commercial parcel carriers from Puerto Rico to several cities located throughout Connecticut,” wrote CSP.
During this investigation, state police detectives, working with special agents with the Homeland Security Investigations Hartford BEST Team, were notified of the discovery of suspicious packages at a commercial parcel shipping facility in Hartford.
Police said investigators were advised there were two packages received at that facility which were subject to search, per policy, as both were suspected to contain narcotics.
State police said both packages were shipped from separate addresses in Puerto Rico.
However, they were addressed to be delivered to the same address in Hartford.
Both packages were determined to contain 10 plastic wrapped brick shaped objects, each containing a white powdery substance, wrote police.
The substance from each package was field tested and showed the presumptive presence of cocaine, according to police.
“The weight in total exceeded 22,000 grams, with an approximate street value worth $600,000,” wrote state police. “The contents of the packages were subsequently seized as evidence.”
Based on this finding, state police detectives continued their investigation and determined the recipient listed on the packages lived at the listed address in Hartford.
As a result, police said, detectives applied for a search warrant of this residence, which was later granted through Hartford Superior Court.
Detectives repackaged the parcels, each containing a “sham substance representative of the same initial weight within each package,” police said.
On Friday, Feb. 14, at approximately 9:30 a.m., detectives delivered both packages to the address in Hartford.
With the assistance of Homeland Security detectives and detectives from the Hartford and West Hartford police departments, surveillance of the residence was established.
The resident of the address previously identified, Flores, was present at the front door to accept the delivery, police said.
State police said a male was observed in a white Volkswagen nearby watching the delivery take place.
Immediately following the delivery, the man was observed backing the Volkswagen into the driveway of the residence, police said.
Based upon this, detectives converged on the residence to execute the search warrant, wrote police.
Police said the male in the Volkswagen was seen running from the residence back to his vehicle in the driveway.
The male was subsequently detained and identified as Burgos-Rodriguez, also of Hartford.
Police said Flores was located within the residence and was also detained without incident.
While detectives continued the investigation within the residence, a 2-year-old child was located in the care of Flores, police said.
“A search of the residence led to the discovery of various packaging materials commonly associated with the sale of illicit narcotics, including a 100-gram weight,” wrote state police.
“Weights of this nature are commonly used to calibrate scales for the measuring of narcotics materials for sale and/or distribution.
“Additionally, a small bag containing a tan powder-like substance was located near these materials. This substance was field tested and showed the presumptive presence of Fentanyl.”
Flores and Burgos-Rodriguez were then taken into custody and transported to Troop H in Hartford.
