(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant today announced the arrests of three drug traffickers after a sizeable fentanyl seizure.
The Central Ohio Major Drug Interdiction/HIDTA Task Force, formed under the AG’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission and led by the Columbus Division of Police, completed a drug interdiction earlier this week that yielded narcotics with an estimated street value of over $2 million.
“This case is proof positive of why we need a stronger southern border that restrains evil – drug traffickers are bringing their poison right to our doorsteps and into our communities,” Yost said.
On Tuesday, Dec. 20, the task force executed three search warrants and seized 19 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and approximately 22,000 fentanyl pills. Two handguns and a rifle also were seized.
Three people were arrested and charged with trafficking in drugs, a first-degree felony:
- Jessica Alejandra Delacruz-Toscano, 33
- Raymundo Martinez-Meza, 29
- Ivan Eduardo Torres-Meza, 29
The two men are believed to be in the United States illegally, while Delacruz-Toscano is believed to be in the country awaiting approval. All three suspects are currently in the Franklin County Corrections Center.
The bust culminates the task force’s investigation, which determined that the suspects were receiving large quantities of narcotics, including fentanyl and cocaine, and distributing it through central Ohio and surrounding areas.
This is the latest success by the task force as they work to combat the opioid epidemic.
The task force includes the Columbus Division of Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the Gahanna Police Department.
