Police arrest 5 in big cocaine seizure

By PAT GROSSMITH

Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2009


MANCHESTER – An Easter Sunday drug raid netted five Mexican nationals and about 100 pounds of cocaine, the largest cocaine bust in New Hampshire's history, state and federal officials said today.

Arrested on federal charges of engaging in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession of cocaine with the intention of distributing it were Juan Garcia Hernandez, 32, Marco Garcia, 45, Ciro Lopez Garcia, 43, Jose Cisneros, 43, Janeth Sarmiento, 21, all of Manchester.

They are being held without bail pending trial, said acting U.S. Attorney Michael J. Gunnison at a press conference at the police station. If convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of 10 years to life in prison.

"This is a multi-million dollar organization," Police Chief David Mara said. "The street value of these drugs was over $4 million. By knocking out this business, we created a vacuum at this time in the city of Manchester."

â–ºUnionLeader.com video: The police chief and the five defendants
â–ºUnionLeader.com audio: Chief Mara details the size of Manchester's drug problem

Mara said police hope to deter drug traffickers from coming to the city by sending a message that anyone selling drugs here will be caught and jailed.

The arrests were made at 4481 Brown Ave. where the cocaine and $60,000 in cash was seized. The ranch-style home, with brick veneer and vinyl siding, is owned by State Representative Saghir Tahir (R-Manchester), according to the city's online assessors' database. Hernandez, whose girlfriend is Sarmiento, had only moved to the residence two months ago, according to court papers.

The raid culminated a three-month investigation of large-quantity cocaine distribution in the city and involved federal, state and local agencies including Manchester police, its SWAT team, the FBI's Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the DEA, state police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the state Department of Corrections, Division of Field Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area(HIDTA).

Mara said the arrests happened because all the agencies pooled their resources and worked together, something that did not happen in the past.

During the three-month investigation, authorities seized another $230,000 and two firearms from other locations.



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