DEA says Los Angeles area meth bust was largest in region

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal and local authorities investigating drug trafficking by Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel found more than 3,550 pounds (1,600 kilos) of methamphetamine and 145 pounds (66 kilos) of cocaine at a home in Southern California, officials said.

The bust marked the largest meth seizure in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Division, the DEA said in a statement Wednesday.

Investigators watching a possible stash house in Norco late last month observed an individual carry three boxes from the residence to a vehicle, the statement said. A search of the vehicle turned up the cocaine and the meth was found in the garage of the home, according to the DEA.

The seized drugs have an estimated street value of $33 million, officials said.

“This massive seizure likely saved lives and prevented the Sinaloa Cartel from doing business and profiting on the lives of people in our communities,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner said.

The investigation is ongoing.