Eleven local residents were arrested Wednesday morning in three simultaneous drug raids in two different Blaine County cities. The busts were the culmination of a yearlong investigation.
"Right now, this was basically the wrap-up of that investigation," said Blaine County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Jay Davis. "But sometimes these things lead further than when you make arrests."
Three search warrants were served simultaneously at residences on Glenbrook Drive in Hailey, McKenzie Lane in Hailey and Rember Street in Ketchum.
The warrants yielded drugs, a weapon and more than $10,000 in cash. A "large amount" of methamphetamine and cocaine were obtained during the raids. Some of the drugs were allegedly sold within 1,000 feet of local schools.
Three vehicles were seized, and civil forfeiture proceedings will be pursued. Further investigations are under way, and detectives are processing leads.
"If it goes any further than that, I don't know what they're going to do, or when, to take it further," Davis said. "I'm sure there'll be follow-ups, but I don't know where it's going to lead."
Davis said busts of this scope have occurred in Blaine County in the past, but acknowledged that it's a big undertaking.
"We basically broke up into teams and went out and hit the targets," he said.
He was cryptic, however, about how or when this investigation began.
"I can't really tell you how we got where we got. Usually investigations start when you get leads from people or arrests," he said. "Then you go off with investigations. It could stem from anonymous tips. It could stem from arrests. It could stem from someone who wanted to get involved and make a difference.
"Hopefully, we have done some great hurt to meth and to cocaine. Hopefully, we've done great damage to the supply and the suppliers."
The 11 men arrested are:
- Jose Hurtado Jr., 24, of Hailey, who is charged with two counts of delivery of methamphetamine, two counts of delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school and failure to affix drug tax stamps.
- Juan Hurtado Jr, 24, of Hailey, is charged with delivery of methamphetamine, delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school and failure to affix a drug tax stamp.
- Carlos Diaz, 22, of Hailey, is charged with two counts of delivery of cocaine and failure to affix drug tax stamps.
- Ramero Snow Hernandez, 20, of Hailey, is charged with two counts of delivery of methamphetamine and failure to affix drug tax stamps.
- Fransisco Vega-Salinas, 28, of Bellevue, is charged with two counts of delivery of methamphetamine and failure to affix drug tax stamps.
- Tristar P. Ontiveros, 30, of Hailey, is charged with two counts of trafficking methamphetamine, delivery of methamphetamine and failure to affix drug tax stamps.
- Fidel Cornejo-Gomes, 26, of Ketchum, is charged with two counts of delivery of methamphetamine, delivery of cocaine and failure to affix drug tax stamps.
- Refugio Regalado-Gil, 22, of Bellevue, is charged with delivery of methamphetamine and failure to affix a drug tax stamp.
- William Smith, 66, of Ketchum, is charged with two counts of delivery of cocaine and failure to affix drug tax stamps.
- Erika Moya-Monjaras, 21, of Hailey, is charged with possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and child endangerement.
- Jorge Flores-Quintana, 24, is charged with delivery of methamphetamine, failure to affix a drug tax stamp and aiding and abetting the delivery of methamphetamine. Flores is in federal custody and will be extradited to Blaine County, the sheriff's office said.
The raids were coordinated among Idaho State Police, Sun Valley Police Department, Blaine County Sheriff's Office, Hailey Police Department, Bellevue Marshal's Office, Ketchum Police Department, Immigration Customs & Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
