COLUMBUS, Ohio — Three men who are accused of drug trafficking in Columbus were arrested through a multi-agency effort Wednesday.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's Organized Crime Investigations Commission served narcotics search warrants at several locations in the Columbus area that three alleged drug traffickers have been utilizing, according to records from the Franklin County Municipal Court.
Police arrested and charged 27-year-old Efren Castaneda-Diaz, 43-year-old Juan Garcia-Vasquez and 43-year-old Lino Mendiola-Vanegas with possession of drugs.
The three men are all being held in the Franklin County Jail without bond.
According to court records, the Columbus Division of Police’s SWAT unit made entry at a residence in the 5800 block of Spruce Forest Drive in the Tuttle West neighborhood where they found Mendiola-Vanegas. When detectives searched the home, they reportedly found a duffel bag containing 10 kg of cocaine.
Columbus SWAT also executed a search warrant at a residence in the 4900 block of Willow Hollow Court in north Columbus, just off of Interstate 270 and found Garcia-Vasquez and a duffel bag containing 6 kg of cocaine.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Special Response Team executed tactical entries at three additional locations in the 3900 and 4000 blocks of Silver Springs Lane, down the road from Willow Hollow Court. Inside one of the residences, authorities found Castaneda-Diaz.
Court records say Castaneda-Diaz was seen coming out of the master bedroom with water on himself. Detectives later found what appeared to be a torn-up drug ledger, which is a documentation of monetary transactions, in the toilet that he had allegedly attempted to flush.
A money counter and other narcotics-related materials were also discovered.
During the warrants, detectives found large amounts of cocaine, in excess of 50 kg, and a large amount of money at storage units and residences associated with the alleged drug trafficking organization.
