Law enforcement officials seized 73 pounds of cocaine, 32 pounds of heroin, eight pounds of methamphetamine, firearms and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash this week in relation to federal charges pending against three men in Columbus.
According to the office of United States Attorney David M. DeVillers, 28-year-old Lucio Manuel Munoz, 22-year-old Rene Bernal Gaytan and 19-year-old Maximus Alberto Dominguez were charged and arrested on Feb. 3.
The three are charged with conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
According to court documents, the men were conducting illicit narcotics operations from the Red Roof Inn on South State Street in Westerville and from a residence on Chesford Road in Columbus.
Authorities were conduct surveillance on both locations on Feb. 2 and stopped Dominguez for a traffic stop on Interstate 270. A narcotics K9 alerted to the vehicle and officers found a kilogram-sized bundle of cocaine.
DeVillers’ office said it is alleged that Munoz attempted to flee the Chesford Road residence that evening with bulk amounts of narcotics in his vehicle.
A traffic stop was initiated on Munoz, but he allegedly failed to yield. A vehicle pursuit followed and ended in a foot pursuit. Munoz was apprehended and officers secured the vehicle he was driving.
Authorities discovered 30 kilograms of cocaine and four kilograms of methamphetamine in Munoz’s vehicle. They seized nine firearms and bulk amounts of cash from a subsequent search of the residence.
Court documents say that agents found multiple kilograms of narcotics with Gaytan in a room at the Red Roof Inn.
They also discovered a storage locker in Columbus where a duffel bag of vacuum-sealed currency was located.
