Suspected meth worth $400K seized by agents
Staff report
YOUNGSTOWN
The Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force and the FBI said they seized 13 pounds of suspected methamphetamine worth about $400,000 in what they believe to be one of the largest methamphetamine seizures in Northeast Ohio.
When they made that seizure Saturday, FBI and task-force agents arrested two San Diego men and a St. Paul, Minn., man.
The men were identified as Daniel Hernandez-Meza and Oscar Esteban Lavenant-Escalante, both of San Diego, Calif., and Timothy A. Vennemann of St. Paul.
The arrests and seizure were part of a long-term, ongoing investigation, and the FBI said multiple federal indictments and arrests are expected as the investigation concludes in the next two to three months.
The probe has targeted a multistate and international ring responsible for importing and distributing cocaine and other drugs, the FBI said.
In September, the FBI, task force and Ohio State Highway Patrol seized 13.2 pounds of cocaine and arrested Michael T. Argentine of Los Angeles.
The case began based on information concerning Youngstown-area drug distributors and dealers, many of whom will be arrested when the probe ends, the FBI said in a news release.