S.J. MEN FACE DRUG CHARGES

Trio arrested after 3-month investigation

Three San Jose men are in Santa Clara County Jail after Santa Rosa police
arrested them at an eastside residence where they allegedly found more than
one pound of Mexican ``tar'' heroin -- the culmination of a two-month
investigation.

Taken into custody Friday were Felix Valencia Nunez, 24, Marcelino Herrera
Razon, 25, and Mario Mendoza-Vega, 25. Also found in the home was a loaded
handgun, officers said. The trio were booked on suspicion of possession and
transportation of heroin and conspiracy.

Their arrest followed the arrests one day earlier of Francisco ``Jorge''
Villa-Prado, 24, of Santa Rosa, and Hector Villa-Chavez, 28, of Milpitas,
both of whom allegedly had sold a quantity of heroin to Santa Rosa
undercover detectives.

During the investigation, Milpitas officers and California Bureau of
Narcotics Enforcement agents found a laboratory in a Milpitas residence
allegedly used for manufacturing methamphetamine, they said. On Friday they
arrested Fedrico Villa, 18, and Jose Villa, 18, and booked them on
suspicion of intent to manufacture dangerous drugs.

In the course of that arrest, detectives found evidence that Villa-Prado
allegedly was being supplied by someone in San Jose and located the
Endfield Court residence, authorities said.