-from ap.google.com-

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Costa Rican agents made the largest marijuana bust in the Central American nation’s history, seizing 4.85 tons of the drug found in an abandoned boat, police said Saturday.

The marijuana — enough to roll 17,600 joints, police said — was discovered Friday during a patrol with the U.S. Coast Guard off the country’s Pacific coast, Costa Rican police said in a statement.

The ship’s crew fled, abandoning their 48-foot-long boat near the border with Panama, where they appear to have fled, police said. No arrests have been made.

-from team4news.com-

By Ray Pedraza

Two men are in custody after San Juan SWAT officers raid a suspected drug house. It happened just after 3 o’clock Wednesday, on 200 block of 2nd street. Action 4 News arrived as officers were storming in and captured footage of Jesus Solis and the homeowner, Gilberto Garza, being placed under arrest. We asked Garza, “Sir do you know why you’re being arrested?” He replied, “Yes. For possession (of) cocaine.” Officers familiarly refer to this address as ‘Gil’s house’. “We’ve had information from other drug users here in town,” explained Rolando Garza, a spokesman for the San Juan Police Department. “We do follow them and they do come to this residence, so it’s a house we’ve been looking at for a while.” Garcia said on Wednesday morning he observed someone making a buy here. Using that evidence and other information obtained about the residence, police secured a signed search warrant. And during their unannounced visit they found a large stash of cash, in rolls and in wads along with a small amount of cocaine. “These are what’s commonly known as a dimebag or a twenty,” Garcia said, displaying the drugs in a match box. “It’s twenty dollars or 10 dollars worth of cocaine.” Police say the homeowner is also suspected of accepting stolen property for drugs. This operation was being guarded by six barking dogs and police believe perhaps even a higher power. Inside they found several religious articles and an altar. “It signifies protection against law enforcement or other drug dealers who may want to come over here,” he said. “So as you see he had it up and running but it didn’t work today.” The suspects detained are awaiting formal charges. The homeowner will be charged with possession of a controlled substance. And, the second suspect will be charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Altogether, officers siezed a total of 43 hundred dollars in cash.

-from thecitizen.com-

By Ben Nelms

Some Christmas goodies come with a price, though with some it might take a get out of jail card to get home in time for Christmas. Drug busts do not take a holiday, according to agents with Fayette’s Drug Task Force (DTF). That was the case for a Union City man arrested in Fayette County on cocaine and marijuana charges.

The first of three recent busts occurred Dec. 11 when undercover DTF agents arrested three men in a buy-bust at the BP service station at Ga. Highway 138 and Ga. Highway 314. Jarrell Lee Pierc, 48, and Trung Minnell Barnett, 26, both of East Point, were charged with trafficking in cocaine and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, according to DTF Lt. Jody Thomas. Also arrested was 29 year-old Prentice Deon Hamm, of Union City, charged with sale of cocaine, trafficking in cocaine, sale of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, said Thomas.

The bust occurred after Pierc, Barnett and Hamm arrived at the station and made contact with undercover DTF agents. Hamm sold agents approximately 28 grams of suspected marijuana and approximately two grams of suspected cocaine, Thomas said. Found in the vehicle during the subsequent search was approximately one pound of suspected marijuana and approximately 70 pre-packaged grams of suspected cocaine, said Thomas.

-from cfnews13.com-

Almost 100 pounds of cocaine is off the street after a combined drug bust between federal drug agents and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

During the bust, approximately $250,000 cash was found, along with 93 pounds of cocaine. Deputies said its street value is $4 million.

Guns were also seized from the Kissimmee residence.

Investigators said the house served as a stash house for a drug trafficking operation between Mexico and Kissimmee.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said things will be a lot safer in Central Florida because of the bust.

Sheriff Bob Hansell: “We all know that one of the biggest reasons our crime is going up is the drug trade. If we can put a dent into it, like we did today, and keep this it up, we’ll make this Central Florida region a better place to live and raise our families,” said Sheriff Bob Hansell, from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.

Two people have been arrested, and more are expected.

-from elpasotimes.com-

By Darren Meritz

An undercover drug bust that went bad Thursday near Cielo Vista Mall put a stranglehold on holiday rush-hour traffic and sparked fear in area residents as sheriff’s deputies blocked a section of Viscount Boulevard and dozens of SWAT team members searched for a suspect they couldn’t find.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office called out the SWAT team around 4 p.m. when three drug suspects fled on foot as detectives were about to arrest them, said Eddie Placencia, Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

Deputies captured two of the three in the Cielo Vista Mall parking lot. Deputies thought the third suspect, who might or might not have been armed, had barricaded himself in an apartment at the Arbor Vista complex on Viscount.

“The SWAT team checked all of the apartments we thought needed to be checked and did not locate him,” Placencia said. “The situation didn’t go as planned.”

The standoff, which closed Viscount between Sunmount and Gerald drives, disrupted traffic on a busy shopping day and kept complex residents in their apartments.

“I was about to go visit my mom when (deputies) said I needed to stay because there was a man with a gun,” said Stephanie Oba, a resident who was with her two young children. “I wasn’t even aware until I went out with my kids.”

Deputies planned to use tear gas or a sound grenade to force a man from an apartment, but they determined the man was not the suspect. The search was called off about 7 p.m.

-from thebeenews.com-

By David F. Ashton

Because of Oregon legislation making all pseudoephedrine-based medications available only by prescription — and because of the steady flow of illicit drugs coming up from our southern border — home-based methamphetamine (“meth”) manufacturing labs around Portland are pretty much a thing of the past. But, not entirely. Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Special Investigations Unit (SIU) deputies seized a supply of chemicals needed to run a large-scale meth lab in the Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood south of Powell just after noon on Thursday, November 29th. The alleged drug lab, located in a home at 3622 S.E. 49th Avenue, is just a half-block east of Creston Elementary School. As we walked down the street near the house, we could clearly hear the laughter of children playing during recess as officers in “Hazmat” suits did their work nearby. To learn more about the arrest, we spoke with the MCSO spokesman, Lt. Jason Gates. “We’ve seen a dramatic decrease in meth labs. In the past, we’ve closed down as many as 40 a year; this is only the third lab we’ve uncovered this year. But, any lab — especially one this close to a school — is a danger to the community.” Gates says the SIU had been conducting an ongoing, covert investigation regarding 55-year-old Ted Wayne Berardinelli, who they said has a history of being involved in clandestine drug labs. “The SIU officers applied for and were granted a search warrant,” continued Gates. “When they executed the search warrant, they discovered specific chemicals used for making meth. The lab wasn’t set up and operating, but they found finished methamphetamine.” In addition to the street-ready meth, deputies also found a large quantity of chemicals that are typically used to manufacture meth, Gates said. Specifically, deputies said they discovered 35 lbs. of elemental iodine, and 6 lbs. of red phosphorous. “The average citizen wouldn’t have a use for these chemicals at home — they are not cleaning or hobby materials,” Gates explained. “And, they’re expensive. Elemental iodine goes for $300 to $600 per pound on the black market. Red phosphorous sells for up to $600 per pound.” The Multnomah County Drug Lab Response Team was called in to mitigate the health hazards associated with the lab, and to process the evidence in the house for prosecution. In addition to the chemicals, deputies also reported finding a .38 caliber pistol, .22 caliber rifle with silencer, and a .22 caliber pistol with a silencer. “It is illegal for an ex-con to have a weapon,” Gates commented. “And, gun silencers are illegal for anyone to possess.” Berardinelli has been lodged in the Multnomah County Detention Center on the following charges: · Manufacturing a controlled substance (meth) within 1000 feet of a school; · Distribution of a controlled substance (meth) within 1000 feet of a school; · Possession of a controlled substance (meth); · Three counts of ex-con in possession of a firearm; and · Two counts of unlawful possession of silencers. “This event demonstrates that some meth labs still do exist in the community,” Gates concluded. “So citizens still should be diligent, and report behavior they suspect is associated with this activity.”

-from aikenstandard.com-

By Bill Bengtson

NORTH AUGUSTA — A car chase and foot pursuit helped lead to the arrest and jailing of an Aiken man Tuesday evening in North Augusta on a charge of trafficking cocaine, according to a North Augusta Department of Public Safety report.
Trevis Eugene Johnson, 34, of Hahn Street, was arrested in connection with the discovery of 250 grams of cocaine (also known as a “quarter-kilo” or about a half-pound with an estimated street value of about $18,000) and seven grams of marijuana – a discovery made with the help of the North Augusta agency’s K9 officer, Fila.
The report indicated that Public Safety Officer Aaron Fittery clocked a red Honda Accord at Womrath Road and Norman Street traveling at 51 miles an hour in a 35 mph zone around 5:28 p.m.
He followed the car, speeding up in an attempt to catch it, and trailed it to a residence on Crestland Drive, where the Accord stopped and its driver got out and ran away but had not put his car’s transmission in park, so it rolled into Fittery’s squad car.
Fittery chased Johnson on foot for a short distance before returning to secure the two cars, the report noted.
Fittery provided a description of the suspect, including the fact that the suspect was carrying a black bag, and Officer John Rutland, Fila’s handler, found Johnson at Norman and Mae streets but without a bag. Johnson denied having had a bag, according to the report.
The arrest was made, with the discovery that Johnson had $863 in a front pants pocket, and Rutland began an open-air search with Fila, leading to an unoccupied residence on Thurmond Street and specifically to an open storage building’s work bench.
A black bag there contained “a large quantity of white powder that field-tested positive for cocaine,” beside “a small bag of a green, leafy substance believed to be marijuana,” as stated in the report.
Johnson was also reportedly cited for driving under suspension (third offense), leaving the scene of an accident with an attended vehicle, resisting arrest, reckless driving and simple possession of marijuana.
Rutland described the search as “very impressive.” His agency is in line to add a second K9 officer to its ranks within the next couple of months, in the wake of Fila having been on duty for two years, sniffing out tens of thousands of dollars in drugs, cash seizures and drug paraphernalia.
Fittery has been selected to be the next K9 handler.

-from abclocal.go.com-

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - December 19, 2007 — Wilmington police say members of Operation Safe Streets followed up a tip that led to a huge bust.

Officers searched the home of Charles Mays in the 300 block of East 22nd Street and found more than 5,000 prescribed pharmaceutical drugs worth more than $85,000.

Among the drugs were Vicodin, Oxycotin, Zanax and Morphine.

Officers also found almost $2,000 in suspected drug money.

Mays has been charged with 11 violations, including violating his probation. Investigators are still trying to find out how he obtained the drugs.