Metro police make dent in major drug cartel

Posted: Mar 27, 2012 3:00 PM PDT Updated: Mar 27, 2012 5:12 PM PDT
By Stephan Johnson

LOUISVILLE, KY. (WDRB)--Metro police say what they uncovered inside a Newburg area home has direct ties to one of the most powerful drug cartel in the world.

"This put a big dent into their drug trade here in Louisville and we're hoping to be able to continue to make some even bigger seizures and arrests," says Sgt. Joe O'toole, with LMPD Narcotics Unit.

Metro Police Narcotics detectives say it doesn't get much bigger than what they recently uncovered.

"It's actually a very large bust for this area; we don't usually see this amount of cocaine being seized."

Police say it all started with Victor Northington, but he is just a small piece of the puzzle.

"We're still working with the US attorneys office now to see about seeking some prosecution against any other suspects."

Last Thursday, police stopped Northington here on Pagota Drive in Maplewood and say he admitted having drugs in the car and even led them to the second suspect.

"Something of this size you wouldn't normally find on a street level dealer; it would go to one of the upper level dealers who would then actually break it down."

Police say the second suspect was inside a home on Rangeland Road. That's where they uncovered 11 kilos of cocaine with a street value of 400 thousand dollars, and about 84-thousand in cash.

"They were in a tool box...a large plastic tool box that was purchased and were put into an attic of the residents."

And police believe the drugs were staying in this area. "This was definitely going to be put on the streets here in the Kentuckiana area."

The drugs may have been going to street level dealers but detectives believe the drugs came from one of the most powerful drug cartels in the world.

"We believe from the investigation that has been done that these drugs are actually part of a Mexican cartel that has actually set up shop here in Louisville."

As for the second suspect, his name is Diego Arreola.

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