Odessa Cocaine Bust Leads To 13 Arrests
By: Dylan Brooks
Updated: October 28, 2011
ODESSA -- The Ector County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Agency's Midland office recently teamed up for a massive cocaine bust in the Permian Basin.
The Ector County Sheriff's Office says the operation went gone on for a year, between October 2010 and October 2011.
The operation led to the seizure of about 2.5 kilograms of cocaine and $214,000 cash. The investigation is still ongoing.
Authorities arrested 8 people in the bust on Thursday, and 5 more people were arrested before that.
A list of everyone arrested is below, along with their ages.
Subjects arrested on Federal Indictments "Possession with intent to distribute cocaine" and Conspiracy to distribute cocaine" on 10/27/11 were:
Manuel Pando, aka "Balita", 31
Guadalupe Venegas aka "Lupito", 40
Alfonso Rene Gomez, aka "Ponch", 34
Herman Villa Chavez, 23
Gilbert Alvarez, 25
Saul Melendez, 20
Manuel Muro, 28
Rolando Pineda
Brian Anthony Pando, 28 (State Charges / Possession of Marijuana)
Subjects previously arrested on Federal Charges "Possession with intent to distribute Cocaine" and "Conspiracy to distribute cocaine":
Jesus Astorga Samaniego, 38
Daisy Castor, 30
Osvelia Pina Rodriguez, 51
Ruben Ontiveros Sanchez, 27
Daniel Delacruz Rodriguez, 39
Fugitives who were indicted:
Ruby Castor Montoya, 33
Arlina Gabaldon Montoya, 53
The Ector County Sheriff's Office says the operation went gone on for a year, between October 2010 and October 2011.
The operation led to the seizure of about 2.5 kilograms of cocaine and $214,000 cash. The investigation is still ongoing.
Authorities arrested 8 people in the bust on Thursday, and 5 more people were arrested before that.
A list of everyone arrested is below, along with their ages.
Subjects arrested on Federal Indictments "Possession with intent to distribute cocaine" and Conspiracy to distribute cocaine" on 10/27/11 were:
Manuel Pando, aka "Balita", 31
Guadalupe Venegas aka "Lupito", 40
Alfonso Rene Gomez, aka "Ponch", 34
Herman Villa Chavez, 23
Gilbert Alvarez, 25
Saul Melendez, 20
Manuel Muro, 28
Rolando Pineda
Brian Anthony Pando, 28 (State Charges / Possession of Marijuana)
Subjects previously arrested on Federal Charges "Possession with intent to distribute Cocaine" and "Conspiracy to distribute cocaine":
Jesus Astorga Samaniego, 38
Daisy Castor, 30
Osvelia Pina Rodriguez, 51
Ruben Ontiveros Sanchez, 27
Daniel Delacruz Rodriguez, 39
Fugitives who were indicted:
Ruby Castor Montoya, 33
Arlina Gabaldon Montoya, 53
