Meth Task Force Makes Heartbreaking Find In Madera
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07/19/2007 - Despite seizing thousands of dollars worth of Methamphetamine and recovering thousands of dollars in cash, not a single agent with Central Valley HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) found reason to celebrate.

When 8 agents assigned to the Central Valley HIDTA Team served a search warrant at a home on Tulare Street in the city of Madera last night, the last thing they wanted to find were five little girls ranging in age from toddler to 9 years old.

While agents collected evidence, CPS was summoned in to round up the children. Every one of the girls escorted out, each carrying favorite blanket - every one of them in tears.

"That's the one part of this job that's heartbreaking," said one of the agents. "It's something you never get over."

Taken into custody, 45-year old Dora Vasquez - the Grandmother of those 5 little girls. She had already been arrested for dealing Meth in 2006 and deported this past May. Agents discovered she had returned to Madera in June and was splitting her time between two homes - occupied by her daughters - all born in Madera.

When HIDTA found out that Dora Vasquez had returned to the Central Valley, they immediately launched an investigation during which time they discovered how lucrative her business had become with help from at least one of her daughters - 27-year old Nora Guillen.

Nora, who is the mother of the 5 little girls, was also taken into custody. Agents allege that it was her home the women used to conduct their illicit business & where drugs deals were brokered in front of those kids.

In addition to the arrests of Mom and daughter, 22-year old Antonio Vasquez and 23-year old Ricardo Sanchez (both Mexican nationals) were also taken into custody.

Agents have discovered that although a Mexican National, Dora collects social services aid in the form of welfare checks and food stamps. Evidence gathered by agents suggests that even though Dora was living in Mexico she was still receiving financial aid. Her daughter Nora, born in Madera also collects aid and qualifies for low income housing. Agents contend that Nora and her mother Dora (as well as their respective boyfriends) used Nora's 3-bedrooom 2 bathroom house to broker their drug deals & conducting business in arms reach of her five children.

All four suspects remain behind bars facing felony drug and child endangerment charges - three of the suspects have been placed on an INS hold.

Central Valley HIDTA has been in operation since 1999. Four different Task Forces make up Central Valley HIDTA & one of those teams is the Fresno Meth Task Force (FMTF). It was THIS Unit which carried out yesterday's operation.

FMTF COVERS Madera, Merced, Fresno counties.

FMTF is a multi-agency task force operating under the leadership of the California Department of Justice BNE (Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement). Personnel handpicked from local area law enforcement agencies include: Madera County Sheriff's Department, Merced County Sheriff's Department, Fresno Sheriff's Department, AND Fresno Police Department.

State and Federal participating agencies include: Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement/ California Department of Justice, California Department of Corrections, California Highway Patrol, California Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), United States Attorney's Office, and United States Marshal Service.

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