Authorities say they arrested four people suspected of peddling drugs and seized 30 pounds of methamphetamine, an amount that could have fetched more than $270,000 on the streets.
One of the suspected dealers, 61-year-old Macario Millan-Murillo, was arrested Monday as he left a residence in the 200 block of E. Lake Street, police said. He and the other suspects — Jose Cóncepcion Anayo-Ramirez, 42, Leoncio Mendoza-Vargas, 21, and Jaime Suarez Escobar, 42 — each were charged with first-degree drug sales and possession, according to court filings.
Online court records show that Mendoza-Vargas had his bail set at $1 million, while the other three were being held in lieu of $100,000 bond.
Millan-Murillo was arrested near the Lake Street residence; police believe he was leaving the house to sell drugs at an undisclosed location. A search of his vehicle turned up about two pounds of meth in a bag and another 23 pounds stashed elsewhere, police said.
Authorities did not specify what led them to the suspects or whether they were believed to be part of a larger, organized drug ring.
After obtaining a search warrant, authorities arrested the other three suspects at the residence, and seized 5.4 pounds of meth, a .45-caliber Llama handgun cq/gg, drug paraphernalia and $50,000 cash, police said. Escobar later told investigators that he, Anayo-Ramirez and Mendoza-Vargas had driven the vehicle from Arizona, according to police.
All four suspects are expected to make their initial court appearances on Thursday.
Libor Jany • 612-673-4064 • Twitter: @StribJany
