"It was able to produce about 100 pounds a week of ice. We're probably looking at $1.5 million monthly profit," --CSLEA Member & DOJ Sup. Special Agent Michael Ortiz told CBS 47 News
Pounds of crystal meth, assault weapons, 40,000 rounds of ammunition, 13 people arrested - that is the tally after a major drug bust at a home in northwest Fresno October 2, 2013.
California Department of Justice (DOJ) special agents and the Fresno Methamphetamine Task Force began its investigation into this lab, which they say was run by drug trafficking organizations in Mexico and Southern California, back in March. According to CBS 47 News, the chemical fumes from the meth conversion lab were so strong, agents had to air out the home for hours before entering it for fear of an explosion.
Inside the home they found 21 year old Orlando Delfin-Lara, a major amount of meth, illegal assault weapons and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition. Task force commander Michael Ortiz displayed for a reporter, two four-pound bags of crystal meth worth $24,000 and $32,000, part of the evidence in this case. Thirteen people were arrested in connection with the lab.
"Those suspects put a lot of people in that neighborhood in extreme danger," said Alan Barcelona, president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA). CSLEA is made up of nearly 7,000 law enforcement, public safety and consumer protection professionals who work for the State of California, including DOJ special agents. "This was a great job done by CSLEA Member and Task Force Commander Michael Ortiz and the agents and officers who investigated this case. This put a major dent in the meth market in Fresno."
