SUSPECTS IN DRUG DEATHS ADMIT PEDDLING COCAINE

Four suspects linked to the recent drug overdose deaths of 16 people in
Harris County admitted they trafficked in cocaine, according to testimony
in a federal hearing Wednesday.

Two of them returned a portion of a bad batch of drugs to their supplier
after they learned of the deaths, said Lou-Anne Tandy, a Drug Enforcement
Administration agent.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcia Crone ordered the four held without bail in a
federal detention facility pending trial.

"It appears all of these defendants are involved in drug dealing," she said.

The four, charged with distributing cocaine, are Andy Gonzalez, 25; Louis
Michael Melchor, 18; Benito Almaguer, 41, and Baldomero Guajardo, 24.

Prosecutors say all four are linked to at least four deaths, while defense
attorneys argued that no clear evidence linked the four with the drugs.

Crone ruled there was probable cause to believe the men sold the drugs and
that the drugs caused the deaths.

Tandy testified that one of the four tried to sell what was supposed to be
cocaine to dealers from Louisiana and Florida, but they refused to buy
because it was too dark.

"He said he had people from Louisiana and Florida that came in to purchase
the tainted cocaine, but they gave it back to him because it looked bad,"
Tandy said.

She said the DEA and FBI began an investigation Monday, Aug. 13, after 15
people died that past weekend from an apparent mixture of cocaine and
heroin. A 16th victim died last week.

A woman who became sick after taking the drug told investigators it came
from Gonzalez. When confronted, Gonzalez said he had been selling drugs for
about two years and admitted supplying drugs to two people who died, Tandy
testified.

She said Guajardo sold the drugs to Almaguer, who sold them to Melchor, who
in turn sold them to Gonzalez.

All four admitted selling the drugs, she said.

When Melchor and Gonzalez learned of the deaths, they returned the
remainder of their supply to Almaguer, Tandy said.

What was supposed to be cocaine, she said, was actually a mixture of
cocaine and heroin.

Tandy said the deaths of Joseph Reed, 34; Clifton Love, 22; Laura Vowells,
29; and Dorthy Moyes, 43, have been linked to sales by Gonzalez.

Also charged are Jose "Kilo" Colunga, 19; Roman "Horse" Juarez, 23; Lucas
Martinez, 23; and Charles Martinez, 22.

Authorities say the drugs originated with Charles Martinez.

His brother-in-law, Lucas Martinez, sold the drugs to Juarez and Guajardo
after purchasing them for $7,800, according to court documents.

Guajardo then tried to sell the drug to two other dealers, a Miami man
known as "Javier" and one from Louisiana known as "Fat Boy," authorities say.

When he couldn't sell to either dealer, Guajardo returned it to a man named
"Mario" and told him, "Lucas Martinez better bring back his money or he was
going to put a bullet in his head," according to an affidavit by investigators.

"He seems to be up in the chain," Crone said of Guajardo.

Melchor told authorities he has sold a half-ounce of cocaine to Gonzalez
every week and a half.

After Gonzalez told Melchor the drug "was making people sick," they went
back to Almaguer, who in turn called Guajardo, the affidavit says.

"He 'Baldo' (Guajardo) said that the cocaine was bad and he had some of it
returned because it was making people sick," the affidavit says.

" 'Baldo' told Almaguer to hold on to the bad cocaine."

Guajardo told investigators that he and a friend, Rudy, tried the cocaine,
according to the affidavit.

"Rudy snorted most of the cocaine and became very ill and required medical
attention," the affidavit says.

"Guajardo transported Rudy to the hospital where he dropped him off and
left him because he had to work in the morning."

Guajardo told investigators he flushed the remainder of the cocaine down
the toilet.