http://www.reflector.com/local/content/ ... gbust.html

Police say drug arrests gang-related

By Erin Rickert
The Daily Reflector

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Several people arrested by police this month and charged with trafficking cocaine have ties to the street gang Mara Salvatrucha or MS-13, Greenville Maj. Kevin Smeltzer said Wednesday.

Markings representative of the gang and information given by the suspects during questioning linked them to MS-13, Smeltzer said at a news conference at the South Greene Street police station.

The Los Angeles-based gang has been operating in the Raleigh-Durham area for a few years but began showing up in Greenville within the last year, Smeltzer said.

Members, like some of the people arrested in connection with two separate cocaine trafficking rings this month, are mainly Hispanic, he said.

"They have a reputation," Smeltzer said.

The gang initially formed in the 1980s for protection and later developed a reputation for being organized and extremely violent.

On June 23, officers arrested Gustavo De-La Cruz Carrera, 27, and Miguel Dominquez Hernandez, 24, both of 2437 Apt. 31 Charles Blvd.; Daniel Vernon Lalone Jr., 37, and Tracey Sears Garrish, 26, both of 103 H Breezewood Drive; Eric Alexis Cardenas, 20, of 1430 Gabrillo Park Drive, Calif.; and Jeronimo Rubio Tello, 24, of 5522 Circle Lane, Ayden.

Smeltzer said the suspects were found with 1 kilogram, 2.2 pounds, of cocaine stuck in their clothing at Carrera's and Hernandez's Carriage House Apartment.

Investigators served the search warrant about 7 p.m., confiscating the cocaine, a 1997 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and $27,000 cash.

Two weeks earlier, Smeltzer said officers arrested Vincente Manjarrez Flores, 37, of 206 Mosley Road, Walstonburg; and Juan Ramon Cisernos Lopez, 26, of 235 Robin Road, Grimesland, after discovering 2.5 kilograms, 5.5 pounds, of cocaine at 858 Hardy Road the night of June 9.

Smeltzer said officers seized $800 cash, two firearms and a 1996 Mercury Marquis.

In all, the drugs had a street value of about $435,500, Smeltzer said.

"It's not the biggest," Smeltzer said of the two busts. "Three or four years ago this would have been larger, but now it's something they (officers) are doing fairly regularly."

Officers said additional arrests are pending in both trafficking rings.

Wednesday evening, all eight people were being held under $1 million secured bonds or higher at the Pitt County Detention Center.


Erin Rickert can be contacted at erickert@coxnc.com and 329-9566.