Skip to Content
News

Meth Dealers Tried and Failed to Disguise Drugs as Aztec Art

9:00 PM PDT on October 16, 2018

Courtesy of DOJ.

[dropcap size=big]F[/dropcap]ederal authorities arrested nine members of a Southern California drug ring trying to FedEx methamphetamine disguised as decorative Aztec calendars and statues to Hawaii, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Central District Office.

“Those drugs were part of a nearly 90-pound shipment that appeared to be colorful, decorative Mexican items, including replicas of the 500-year-old Aztec calendar stone,” the U.S. Attorney’s Central District Office said in the statement Tuesday.

RELATED: Cops Make $11 Million Drug Bust, Arrest 13 Suspected Sinaloa Cartel Members in the Valley and Ventura County

Courtesy of DOJ.
Courtesy of DOJ.

The nine members of the drug ring – including one who was already in custody for a crime not related to this case – are being charged with a series of crimes including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, including three shipments this year.

The crew is accused of trying to ship about two pounds of meth to the island from a FedEx store in Santa Ana in January, according to the Los Angeles Times. In April, they tried sending nearly five pounds of meth that had been packed inside bags of ground coffee to Hawaii from a FedEx store in Cypress.

In the third shipment, the crew tried to mail about 25 pounds (11.7 kg) of meth from a post office in Garden Grove. Authorities intercepted all three shipments.

The Department of Justice described specific jobs performed by the individuals named in the indictment. It was the job of Felix Salgado, a 28 year old resident of Perris, to get wholesale quantities of meth on behalf of the conspiracy. German Bastidas Nunez, a.k.a. “Cheque,” a 46-year-old resident of Moreno Valley, was Felix’s supplier. He was the guy the federal authorities already had in custody.

Courtesy of DOJ.
Courtesy of DOJ.

Vaimanino Lee Pomele, 49, of Garden Grove, allegedly organized the shipments to Hawaii. His wife, Alejandra Pomele, 44, also of Garden Grove, allegedly delivered the narcotics to a customer on at least one occasion, authorities said. Stephen Dgewell Martin, 30, of Anaheim, allegedly took the dope disguised as Aztec calendars and statues to the post office in garden Grove. And Gary Wayne Minter, 55, of Victorville, was the guy who allegedly provided the stash house.

If convicted, the supects face a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years in federal prison, but they potentially could be sentenced to decades in prison. They are being prosecuted out of the U.S. Central District’s Santa Ana Branch Office.

RELATED: ‘Ghost Guns’ ~ L.A. Gangs Are Making Their Own Untraceable Firearms

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

L.A. Spent Over $1.73 Million on These Controversial ‘Anti-Homeless’ Signs. Do They Actually Work?

Earlier this month, a leaked memo from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) suggested that these 41.18 zones rarely led to unhoused people being moved into interim shelter or permanent housing. After being cleared, most 41.18 zones quickly became repopulated.

March 27, 2024

Two New Lowrider-Inspired and Dodger-Blue L.A. TACO Hats Are Now Available!

Wear your L.A. TACO swag and support our inclusive, street-level community journalism!

March 27, 2024

A Morning-Only Taco Pop-Up in Northridge Is Making the Biggest Breakfast Burritos in the San Fernando Valley

What does it take to stand out in Los Angeles's saturated taco climate? Focus on San Fernando Valley-style loaded breakfast tacos, "breakfast quesadillas" with crispy cheese skirts, and the beefiest breakfast burritos Balboa Boulevard has ever seen.

March 26, 2024

The Second Round of TACO MADNESS 2024 Is Now Open for Voting! Meet ‘L.A.’s Sweet 16’ That Advanced

Save the date! Our 15th annual taco tournament is taking place on April 13th at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes near Olvera Street. Pre-sale tickets are now available. Our online tournament starts on Monday. Check out this year's contenders!

March 26, 2024

Meet L.A.’s Queen of Carnitas Succeeding In a Male-Dominated Taco Style

Her Michoacán-style carnitas are so tender, crispy, and sticky, that she's known to sell more than 1,200 pounds on Sundays alone. What sets her apart from other carnitas stars in L.A. is her commitment to making handmade corn tortillas, too. Her story of resilience is the stuff of taquera legends.

March 25, 2024
See all posts