BUST COULD COOL LOCAL DRUG TRADE

Arresting street-level drug dealers doesn't have an effect on local
drug supplies, but finding their bosses can.

The 65.4 grams of crack cocaine seized in a Friday night bust is
enough to dent the drug trade here, Police Chief Bruce Ure said.

"These guys were way up there on the food chain," Ure said. "It could
have a significant impact on the drug trade."

Federal authorities have taken over the investigation, Ure
said.

They are charging [redacted], 43, and [redacted],
40, with possession of a controlled substance and felons in possession
of firearms, said Francesca Perot, information officer for the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Houston.

Police found a dozen guns stashed around the [redacted] house
during the Friday night raid, Perot said. They also found surveillance
cameras, stacks of cash, drugs and one bed.

"The whole house was set up for narcotics trafficking," Ure
said.

Stephen Lovitt, executive director for Billy Cattan Recovery Outreach
applauded police for finding the drugs. But serious addicts will find
new ways to get high, fast, he said.

"For a while, you'll see a drop in crack," said Lovitt, who is a
licensed chemical dependency counselor. "It won't take them long to
find another connection."

San Antonio, Houston and Corpus Christi aren't long drives if you're
hankering for a fix, Lovitt said. And drug dealers often drive to
Victoria to deliver goods, he said.

For some people, though, Friday's bust will bring big
changes.

"It might get some people off the street and into treatment," Lovitt
said.