Multi-agency force seizes 3,200 pounds of marijuana

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A multi-agency task force targeting drug and human trafficking in Pinal County arrested 102 suspects, recovered 7 stolen vehicles, seized 12 firearms and confiscated 3,200 pounds of marijuana from Feb. 16 to Feb. 19.

“This area needs a heavy and continuous law enforcement presence if we are to defeat those responsible for drug and human trafficking and the crimes associated with it,” said Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu.
 
The task force was comprised of members of Bureau of Land Management, Pinal, Pima and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Offices, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, along with other federal and state agencies and area police departments.

Operations were conducted in the Vekol Valley and Silver Bell Mountain areas of Pinal County. Vekol Valley is about 18 miles south of Maricopa and Silver Bell is near Arizona City.

Details of the operation provided by the PCSO:

February 16
A Ford pickup truck was being driven blacked out (no lights visible) near the Sawtooth Mountains. The vehicle fled at a high rate of speed when law enforcement tried to stop it. The vehicle could not be pursued because of the reckless manner in which it was being driven.

A Ford pickup truck was being driven blacked out near Sunland Gin Road. Law enforcement tried to stop the truck but it fled. Stop Sticks were used and the vehicle became disabled. Several occupants fled the vehicle into the desert and were not located. This vehicle was being used as a resupply truck and had been stolen out of Phoenix only hours prior.

A Chevy Avalanche was being driven blacked out near the Sawtooth Mountains. Law enforcement tried to stop the vehicle but it fled. The vehicle could not be pursued because of the reckless manner in which it was being driven.

A Chevy Blazer was being driven on I-8 near Stanfield. The vehicle was traveling very slowly and weaving. Law enforcement stopped the vehicle and observed eight bundles of marijuana in plain view. The driver Erica Katherine Armstrong was arrested for possession of marijuana for sale, an outstanding assault warrant and for driving on a suspended license. The marijuana weighed 191 pounds and had a street value of $95,500. Armstrong, 32, of Casa Grande, is currently being held on a $20,000 bond.

February 17
Law enforcement observed two trucks traveling in tandem near the Sawtooth Mountains. Both vehicles stopped and the occupants got out and began to talk. The occupants had night vision equipment, rifles and were wearing outer carrier bullet proof vests. The individuals then got back into their vehicles and continued driving. When law enforcement attempted to stop them, both vehicles fled. The vehicles could not be pursued because of the reckless manner in which they were being driven. A short time later, one of the vehicles, a 2004 GMC truck, was found abandoned. The vehicle had been reported stolen out of Peoria earlier in the week.

February 18
Law enforcement stopped a vehicle near the Sawtooth Mountains. The driver, Rogelio Salazar Gastelum, 45, was arrested for possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine for sale and possession of drug paraphernalia. The passenger, Gordon Lee Encinas, 49, was arrested for an outstanding felony warrant and possession of marijuana.

Law enforcement tried to stop a stolen Ford pickup truck on I-8, but the vehicle fled. The vehicle could not be pursued because of the reckless manner in which it was driven.

February 19
Law enforcement tried to stop a blacked out Dodge pickup truck traveling eastbound on Harmond Road. The vehicle fled into the desert toward the Sawtooth Mountains. Spikes were successfully deployed and the occupants bailed out and abandoned the truck. Inside of the vehicle, law enforcement located an AK-47 and a large supply of food and other survival supplies.

A citizen in Silverbell Estates called in a suspicious group of people in the area. Law enforcement responded and four illegal aliens they were turned over to U.S. Border Patrol.

Law enforcement located a stolen truck hidden underneath a pile of brush. The vehicle had been reported stolen out of Peoria.

Law enforcement stopped a vehicle near the Sawtooth Mountains. The driver was Lucinda Lopez, 30. She was smuggling three illegal aliens, one of which was wanted for a previous sexual assault.

 

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