An early morning drug bust conducted by Elkhart County authorities on Wednesday seized more than thirteen pounds of crystal meth and resulted in ten arrests for dealing in methamphetamine.
More than one hundred law enforcement officers from surrounding local agencies along with the Indiana State Police, the US Drug Enforcement Agency and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms executed search warrants at ten locations across Elkhart County.
The investigation began last October and had already resulted in 14 arrests prior to Wednesday morning’s raid.
Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill says the amount of meth found is one of the largest single operation seizures in county history. The prosecutor says thirteen pounds of meth is equal to more than 6,000 grams, or individual "hits."
Hill says it was a takedown of what he calls the “Luiz Jauqez Drug Trafficking Organization." The prosecutor estimates the street value of the drugs, weapons, and money seized totals more than a half million dollars.