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SALT LAKE COUNTY — The investigation of a large drug trafficking organization led to the arrests of 51 people, police said Tuesday.
Detectives from the Unified Police Department obtained search warrants for 15 locations in Salt Lake and Utah counties as part of the investigation, police said. Officers worked in partnership with the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force to serve the warrants from Thursday to Monday.
As a result of the investigation, 11 people were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking and 40 people were arrested on suspicion of being a buyer or consumer, according to police. Investigators said they also seized 6-pounds of heroin with a street value of $120,000, 11 vehicles, $82,000 in cash and 12 firearms.
Officers investigated the drug trafficking organization for several weeks to establish probable cause to obtain the search warrants, police said. All of the heroin was illegally transported from Mexico, investigators believe.
The investigation initiated as a response to the high volume of heroin being distributed by drug runners across Salt Lake Valley, which then flowed into Utah and Davis counties.
–Unified Police
"The investigation initiated as a response to the high volume of heroin being distributed by drug runners across Salt Lake Valley, which then flowed into Utah and Davis counties," a statement from the Unified Police Department reads. "During the investigation detectives were able to identify multiple locations that were involved in the drug trafficking organization."
Search warrants were issued for nine addresses in Salt Lake City, three addresses in West Valley City, one address in Lehi, one address in Holladay and one address in Taylorsville, according to the Unified Police Department.
Police said the 11 people who were arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of drug trafficking were Victor Peres-Cardenas, 20; Jose Arciniega-Nuno, 31; Jose Cordero-Olvera, 29; Enrique Ojeda, 24; Luis Mercedes-Padilla, 32; Alejandro Perez-Cardenas, 25; Alberto Fragozo-Ortega, 25; Carlos Santiago-Castaneda, 28; Luis Perez-Hernandez, 56; Humberto Perez-Oliver, 25; and Manuel Robles-Cazares, 23.
Police said the people who purchased the heroin came from all walks of life. The popularity of the drug is increasing and dealers are setting up shop in nice neighborhoods, according to Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder.
"That's happening in every neighborhood you can fathom," he said. "The old stereotype of going down to the park and getting it out of a tin can doesn't hold anymore."
Contributing: Pat Reavy and Devon Dolan
