Some 14 residents of Salt Lake and Weber counties are in federal custody and were indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday on charges of running a sophisticated multi-drug-dealing ring.
During an investigation that began last spring, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration intercepted thousands of phone conversations that revealed a complex operation dealing sizable quantities of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, according to criminal charges filed in U.S. District Court.
Over the course of several months, undercover agents reportedly purchased about 275 grams of heroin and 85 grams of methamphetamine. The agents alsoreportedly recorded, via telephone surveillance, the sale drugs to other customers.
The group's leaders were identified as Noe Andrade-Lopez, Juan Antonio Diaz-Robles and Francisco Contreras-Estrada. According to the court documents, agents learned that when customers wanted to purchase drugs, they called a number answered by Andrade-Lopez, who in turn called a "distributor" who reportedly would deliver the actual drugs. Court documents said the distributors were resupplied by Diaz-Robles when they ran low in exchange for proceeds from previous drug sales. Operators maintained a "stash house" in Midvale, where they packaged drugs for distribution, agents reported.
After serving a search warrant at the Midvale apartment in late November, agents reported finding 567 grams of heroin and 223 grams of cocaine. A warrant served at a second location in Salt Lake City yielded approximately 196 grams of methamphetamine, 29 grams of cocaine and 54 grams of heroin. A third residence in West Jordan yielded undisclosed amounts of drugs, according to the charges.
At a fourth location in Ogden, Andrade-Lopez was found with "large amounts of U.S. currency," agents said.
All defendants have been ordered by a federal judge to be held in federal custody pending the resolution of their cases.