THREE ARRESTED IN DRUG RAIDS IN DENTON COUNTY HOMES

Three men were arrested Tuesday night after narcotics officers armed with
search warrants and acting on a tip found cocaine and marijuana at two
homes, Denton County Sheriff's Department officials said yesterday.

The arrests were the latest in a crackdown on the sale and distribution of
illicit drugs in the Denton area, Sheriff's Department spokesman Derek
Hartsfield said.

This week, undercover deputies bought marijuana at homes in the 900 block
of North Ruddell Street in Denton and in the 1000 block of Hoss Road in an
unincorporated area of Denton County, Hartsfield said.

About midnight Tuesday, deputies and members of the North Central Texas
Narcotics Task Force forced their way into the two houses, Hartsfield said.
Leonard Chavez, 35, was arrested at the North Ruddell Street home and was
charged with felony possession of marijuana, Hartsfield said. Chavez was
released yesterday on $3,500 bail, a Denton County Jail spokeswoman said.

Richard Rodriguez, 38, and David Garcia, 30, were arrested at the Hoss Road
residence, Hartsfield said. Rodriguez was charged with felony possession of
marijuana and felony possession of a controlled substance (cocaine),
Hartsfield said. He was released yesterday on $8,500 bail. Garcia was
charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana, Hartsfield said. He was
released on $1,000 bail.

Nine other men ages 19 to 28 have been arrested on felony drug charges in
Denton County in the past week, Hartsfield said. Those arrests were made
after deputies received telephone tips to Denton County Crime Stoppers, he
said.

The 12 arrests resulted in the seizure of $1,100, marijuana worth $7,100,
methamphetamine worth $1,000, cocaine worth $600, and two vehicles,
Hartsfield said.

"It's significant that the citizens of Denton County have called us,"
Hartsfield said. "We want to emphasize that they are an integral part in
this war on drugs and that by working together, we can hopefully lessen the
impact of narcotics traffic in Denton County."