Iho affested - New Mexico HIDTA

Lea Counof law enforcement seized
more than ttt0o,000 worth of marijuana from a Hobbs home.
Iho affested
in $+00,000
pot seizure
SONYA PETROSKI
NEWS.SUN
L€a County Drug
Task Force, Lea
County Sheriff's
Department,
and
Hobbs Police Depart-
ment worked togeth,.
er to take more than
S400,000 worth of
marijuana off of the
sreet.
According to
LCDTF report,
agents received
information about
illegal narcotics
A. Mendoza
being sold fmm a
Hobbs residence in
November.
After an investigation, Agents executed a search warrant
on Dec. 11 at a residence on the 2500
block of West Mid-
west. The
agents K. Mendoza
recovered close to 45
pounds of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in four suitcases located in a
closet inside the house.
The release stated Kevin Mendoza, 21,
and his cousin, Armando Mendoza, 19,
were placed under arrest. While under
arrest Armando Mendoza stated he and
Iftvin Mendoza sold the marijuana for
S20 per gram.
SEE
MARUUANA, Page 4
-Marijuana
;- from PAGE
1
i
The repbrt also states that Armando Mencioza pound. he said. "It's really a good
money maker
i. sold the marijuana while his cousin attained the for somebodv."
: madjuana for sale. He stated Kevin Mendoza Wester said that because of the recent legall- transporued r\ro to four suitcases of marijuana izations of the drug in the
nearby states, Lea
I to the house every two to three rveeks.
County will see more and more appearances of
f,COtf Commander Byron Wester said the the high"grade drug.
type- of high-grade marijuana seizecl in the bust
:. fias
"As more states legalize it, we a.re going to see
become more visible in Lea County during
more
of it here," he said. ,,I don't think it com_
past
lne
l,€ar.
pletely replaces the marijuana that we tradition"Wc are seeing more and more of this highgrade marijuana down in Lea County ever sirice ally got from Mexico, however I do believe in the
year we have gotten more of the high-$ade
, it has become legalized in California and Colo- last
stulf
from Colorado and California; than the
rado." Wester said. It s easily accessible now to
low-grade
stu,f[ from Mexico. '
'. Lea County and through New MFXico from those
Both Mendoza men were cha-rged with disstates."
tribution
of marijuana and conspiracy to disWestqr
added
rhat
rhe type of marjjuana with
;i low
.
HCC levels. a lower-grade of the drug, com_ tdbute marjjuana, each a fourth-degree felony.
They are being held in the Lea Counw Detention
; monly from Ivlexico is getting harder to find.
;-
_
i
i
i
j. .'With this high.grade
take
of marijuaria, it
Center in Lovington.
as much of ir ancl people can buy ir
by the pound for $i.000 in plac;s tike Caufornia
Sonya Petroski con be reached at S7S-S|I-5487
and Colorado and then sell it here for g4,000 per or at reporter ho bb snews. com.
@
-doesn'r
.
ievel

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