Drug bust nets 15 pounds of cocaine, 5 arrests

MONTROSE — Five people were arrested this morning in Montrose and Telluride on allegations related to cocaine trafficking and weapons smuggling.

In all, agents and officers from several regional agencies seized 15 pounds of suspected cocaine and four firearms; the street value of the drugs exceeded $900,000.

Eric Christobal Sanchez, 34, of Telluride, Maria Vargas Gonzlaez, 33, of Telluride and Marco Antonio "Tono" Garcia-Garcia, 26, of Telluride, were arrested at gunpoint in Montrose near a retail business on South Townsend.

Arrested in Telluride were Gilberto Garcia-Garcia, 34, and Enrique "Kiki" Hernandez, 21.

The arrests came as the result of months of investigation by the Seventh Judicial District Drug Task Force, San Miguel County Sheriff's Office, Telluride Marshal's Office, Mountain Village Police Department, Montrose Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Durango Police Department, Southwest Drug Task Force and Western Colorado Drug Task Force.

The investigation was launched after area residents complained of drug trafficking, officials said.

San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters said in a news release two Telluride businesses and two homes were searched under warrants.

He said investigators also believe the firearms were being purchased in the U.S. and sold in Mexico by some members of the drug ring.

Masters declined to provide details about the Telluride arrests.

Seventh Judicial District Drug Task Force Agent Jim Fuller referred information requests to Masters' news release.

Montrose Police Chief Tom Chinn said investigators watched an apparent drug transaction take place in the Target parking lot and moved in.

He said the three suspects arrested in Montrose attempted to leave, so the the Montrose SWAT team blocked their vehicle. When they tried to back out, SWAT deployed a flash-bang distraction device and the task forces and DEA were able to pinch them off.

"I believe that's the largest single quantity that has been seized in the city limits of Montrose in the history of Montrose," Chinn said.

"This incident goes to show everyone the degree of the problem we are facing here. This cocaine wasn't going to be just staying in any particular area. It was going to be spread out to individuals throughout Western Colorado, maybe even further.

"For this much of this product to be out there, it goes to show what a huge, huge problem we're facing."