-from mercurynews.com-

By Mark Gomez and Sean Webby

About 200 law enforcement agents spread out in early morning raids today to take down what they called a San Jose family-run methamphetamine distribution ring that was selling crank from San Francisco to Gilroy.

Authorities believe the ring was responsible for about 20 pounds of meth hitting the streets every month, according to FBI Special Agent Joe Schadler. That amount of drugs - especially if it were pure and able to be sold after being mixed with other substances - could bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Many involved in the lucrative drug ring are relatives, Schadler said.

But few other details about the ring - Who was in charge? How did they operate? - were forthcoming from federal agents or prosecutors yesterday despite the high profile busts. A press conference about this and other matters was scheduled by U.S. Attorney Joseph Russoniello for Friday.

Around 6 a.m. today, members of a joint organized crime and drug enforcement task force, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, executed warrants at homes in San Jose, Gilroy and San Francisco. One person was arrested Tuesday and 11 of the suspects were arrested Wednesday. Agents also seized 2.5 pounds of meth, $45,000 in cash and drug paraphernalia.

Ten of the 14 people indicted are from San Jose.

They are: Guillermo Alejandro Zaragoza, 25, Eduardo Zaragoza, 24, Manuel Corona Contreras, 51, Martin Estrado Zaragoza, 43, Roberto Zaragoza Ruiz, 29, Lorenzo Carbajal,

46, Paul Anthony Kozina, 33, Martel Murillo Valencia, 34, Angelica Maria Rodriguez, 33, and Irma Corona, 44, all of San Jose. Also arrested were: Richard Aldo Parodi, 32, and David Blake Weld, 43, of San Francisco, David Bejines Quezada, 33, of Gilroy and Juan Zaragoza, 30, of Stockton.

Ruiz and Parodi remained fugitives today.

An unidentified man was also arrested on a criminal complaint.

All suspects face federal drug distribution charges, many of which carry life sentences, if they are convicted and get the maximum.

Ten of those arrested were brought before before U.S. Magistrate Edward Chen in San Francisco this afternoon, one defendant in a Target store uniform. Most of the defendants pleaded not guilty and were held without bail until detention hearings could be held next week.

The raids were executed in conjunction with several law enforcement agencies, including the San Mateo County Narcotics Task Force, California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, Immigration Customs Enforcement and the San Jose and San Francisco police departments, Schadler said.

Sources said the two-year investigation was nicknamed “Operation White Hand” - an apparent reference to an evil wizard in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.