POLICE IN LONG BEACH CA NET DRUG BONANZA

Local Detectives Make Stop, Seizure Valued At A Record $50 Million.

LONG BEACH - A two-month drug investigation culminated in the
confiscation of more than 438 kilograms of cocaine, $1.1 million in
cash and various weapons, and Long Beach police plan to display the
cache this morning.

The cocaine seizure is the largest in the city's history, said Long
Beach Police Chief Robert Luman. Its street value is estimated at $50
million.

Although the operation was under the auspices of the Los Angeles
Impact Task Force, a regional narcotics police unit, Long Beach Drug
Investigation Section detectives stopped the gray Chevrolet Astrovan
in Rowland Heights and discovered the cocaine.

Police were expected to display some of the confiscated material
during a press conference today to discuss the investigation and the
Feb. 12 raids in Cerritos, Montebello, Paramount and Rowland Heights.

Police also made six arrests. They included: Nelson Villalta, 38 and
Salvador Gomez, 28, of Paramount; Raul Rios, 26 and Pilar Gonzalez,
47, of South Gate; Benjamin Pena, 31, of Montebello, and Raul Basurto,
47, of Rowland Heights.

All the suspects were booked for possession of narcotics for sale,
conspiracy and various weapons and currency violations.

Villalta, Gonzalez and Basurto are being held in the Los Angeles
County Jail without bail. Pena is being held on $5,000 bail and Rios
on $27,000 bail. Gomez was released Feb. 18.

"It is this type of joint effort that brings us closer to winning the
war on drugs," Luman said in a prepared statement.

The largest amount of cash, about $1 million, was found inside an
undisclosed Paramount home. Various amounts of cash and guns were
found at other locations.

Police spokeswoman Karen Owens said that Long Beach police have been
participating in the Impact Task Force for about five years.

Authorities learned of the most recent operation in December, when
Impact officers received information about a local drug organization
and requested assistance from Long Beach Police narcotics
investigators.

The effort resulted in hundreds of hours of surveillance and
documented unlawful activity, police said.