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An ongoing, multi-agency investigation into Mexican cartel-related drug trafficking led to the seizure late Monday night of a large amount of illegal narcotics, an arrest — and two grenades.
Unified Police Lt. Lex Bell said officers from UPD's Taylorsville-based Street Crimes Unit, the Salt Lake County Metro Gang Unit and the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force raided a unit at the Staybridge Suites in Midvale just before 10 p.m. A 38-year-old Utah man also was arrested.
During the raid at 747 W. Blue Vista Lane, officers acting under a search warrant allegedly found a suitcase, under a bed, stuffed with 23.5 lbs of methamphetamine, 5.5 lbs heroin, a handgun reported as having been stolen from Spokane, Wash., and the pair of live grenades.
The street value of the drugs was estimated at about $800,000, Bell said.
The latest arrest and drug seizure was expected to be the last Utah arrest in the investigation. Last Thursday, the same unit of about 20 officers arrested an undocumented, 38-year-old Mexican national at a West Valley City home and hauled in more than $1 million worth of heroin and cocaine worth more than $1 million on the street, along with several arrests.
The arrested suspects remained behind bars at the Salt Lake County Jail, booked on suspicion of drug possession and distribution counts.
Detectives were certain the operation was connected to one of the Mexican drug cartels, but they had not identified which one.
However, the drugs were believed to have been smuggled across the border from Nogales, where the infamous Sinaloa cartel has held sway. The drugs ended up in Stockton, Calif., before being taken to the Salt Lake Valley, police say.
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