Thread: OR Three men held after drug raids at Astoria-area homes

6/19/2009 10:21:00 AM

Three men held after drug raids at Astoria-area homes

By JOE GAMM
The Daily Astorian

Three men were arrested in Astoria for drug trafficking during a series of arrests early Thursday morning.

The arrests came at the completion of a long-term investigation in Astoria and in rural areas of Clatsop County.

The Clatsop County Interagency Narcotics Team, assisted by deputies from the Clatsop County Sheriff's Office and officers from Astoria Police Department, arrested 26-year-old Martin Robledo Cruz in his bedroom at 91817 U.S. Highway 202, Apt. 24, at 4 a.m. A 17-year-old girl was found with Cruz.

Cruz was transported to the Clatsop County Jail, where he was booked and charged with third-degree rape, possession of cocaine and delivery of cocaine. An Immigration Service hold was also placed on Cruz because he is an illegal alien.

Approximately 149 grams of cocaine, with a street value of $15,000 was found hidden inside a Nesquik can in the apartment. Also found were scales and $1,750 cash.

At 5:30 a.m. another raid was conducted at 115 Marine Drive, Apt. 1. in Astoria, where officers arrested 45-year-old Rafael Ricardo Rubio.

He was charged with four counts of possession of cocaine and three counts of delivery of cocaine. Rubio had crack cocaine in his possession. He was booked into custody at the Clatsop County Jail.

At 6:30 the officers arrested Rubio's 45-year-old brother Raul Gabriel Rubio at 3010 Harrison Ave. He was transported to the jail and booked on three counts of possession of cocaine and two counts of delivery of cocaine. Raul Rubio was also found to be in possession of crack cocaine.

"The Clatsop County Narcotics unit has been extremely busy," said Clatsop County Sheriff Tom Bergin. "The amount of drugs in our community is overwhelming, but it is a plight that we must continue to battle."

He said law enforcement agencies will continue to pursue lawbreakers who don't seem to care about the community and have no respect for the lives they are infecting with their poisons.

"I also urge all parents to talk to their children on a daily basis even though you might get an eye roll," he wrote. "It is important to keep the message fresh that drugs will eventually damage your life beyond repair."

http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp? ... M=57195.04

Well, it looks like the big RICO roundup two years ago still left some users and related criminals in the area. In the former case the defendants were sentenced under RICO law giving them some very long stretches to serve---of course taxpayers having to pay for that. Astoria can hardly maintain its streets--without worrying about foreign drug criminals.