Raid Seizes $207 Million in Drugs

Acting on a citizen’s tip, police this week seized more than $200 million worth of cocaine and arrested three people, including two Baldwin Park residents, on drug-related charges.

“It is certainly the largest (bust) in Baldwin Park and Irwindale history,” said Capt. Carmine Lanza of the Baldwin Park Police Department.

During Monday’s raid at an Irwindale public storage center, officers confiscated 1,516 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $207 million.

Enrique Padilla, 30, of Baldwin Park and Luis Vazquez Castro, 36, of Tijuana, Mexico, were arrested on one count each of drug possession with intent to sell. Investigations led police to later arrest Maria Martinez, 29, of Baldwin Park for conspiracy to distribute drugs.

At their arraignment Tuesday, the two men were also charged with transporting cocaine.

Suspicious Activities

Martinez has been turned over to the Immigration and Naturalization Service for deportation, said Irwindale Police Chief Julian Miranda.

Monday’s drug bust was triggered by a report of suspicious activities at CALMAT, a self-storage facility located at 13201 Ramona Blvd., police said. The three apparently have no connection to CALMAT, police said.

Officers from Irwindale and Baldwin Park were dispatched to Ramona Boulevard, a boundary between the two cities.

Padilla and Castro, who were leaving CALMAT in a red Ford pick-up truck, were arrested near the storage center shortly after 3:30 p.m., Lanza said. Cocaine was subsequently discovered in a CALMAT storage area rented to Padilla, he said.

“The quality is very, very good,” Lanza said of the seized cocaine, which investigators believe is from Colombia. “It has not been cut yet. It’s pure cocaine.”

A preliminary hearing for Padilla and Castro has been scheduled for Oct. 28 at Citrus Municipal Court.