Thread: VA: Alleged cocaine traffickers arrested

Alleged cocaine traffickers arrested

March 18, 2011 - By Edward Marshall, Journal Staff Writer

MARTINSBURG - Three people were arrested Wednesday after allegedly agreeing to sell a confidential police informant $4,500 worth of powder cocaine during a drug sting operation conducted by the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force.

Police said all three men, who live in Winchester, Va., were subsequently found to be residing in the country illegally.

The alleged ringleader, 28-year-old Juvenal Aragon Cruz, of Midfield Lane, was charged with two counts of distribution of cocaine and three counts of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. As of Thursday, he remained in custody at Eastern Regional Jail on a $225,000 cash-only bail.

The two other men arrested, Nicholas Ramirez Lopez, 30, of Woodstock Lane, and Eduardo Martinez Lopez, 26, of Smithville Lane, were each charged with distribution of cocaine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, police said.

They are each being held on a $100,000 cash-only bail. All three men have also had Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers lodged against them.

According to court records, on March 11, a confidential informant cooperating with the Task Force arranged through a series of phone calls to receive a sample of powder cocaine from Cruz. The informant met with officers from the Task Force and was issued covert surveillance equipment.

The informant then met Cruz at the Food Lion in Inwood. During the meeting, Cruz gave the informant about 1 gram of powder cocaine as a sample of the quality of cocaine he said could deliver, records show.

After the meeting, the informant turned over the cocaine he had received to police.

On Monday, Cruz traveled to the informant's home with Eduardo Lopez and Nicholas Lopez. While at the home, they allegedly produced another sample of cocaine and delivered it to the informant. Both the transactions allegedly were facilitated by Cruz, records show.

Wednesday the informant made contact with Cruz through a series of phone calls and text messages to arrange the purchase of 4.5 ounces of powder cocaine for $4,500, records show.

Cruz, Eduardo Lopez and Nicholas Lopez then traveled to an area near the home of the informant. They were then taken into custody after being approached by officers from the Task Force and the West Virginia State Police.

If convicted, they face one to 15 years in prison on the drug distribution charges and one to five years in prison on the conspiracy charges.

www.journal-news.net

I hope soon our Country leaders will see the troubles we Americans are taking for granted and they will pursue agreements to allow the U.S. immigration laws to be enforced to the fullest extent of law.

congratulations Virginia, this is what you get for your legislatures not supporting the illegal immigration bills this session. its so sad that 4 people can determine the fate of 10 immigration bills

"Police said all three men, who live in Winchester, Va., were subsequently found to be residing in the country illegally."

With the watered down immigration laws, crime rating will rise to the highest peak possible and citizens across the nation will become victims of illegal immigrants criminal actions.