Indianapolis Pot Bust: 5 Tons Of Marijuana Seized, Largest Bust In State History (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

After an eight-month investigation, officials in Indianapolis arrested four men and recovered five tons of marijuana in possibly the largest pot bust in state history.

U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett told the Indianapolis Star that authorities believe a Mexican drug cartel was behind the operation, and the bust was likely a serious financial hit.

The bulk value of the 10,505 pounds, or 5.25 tons, of marijuana is about $5 million, Hogsett told the Star. The street value “could be upwards of 10 times that amount.” $4.3 million in cash was also seized.

An investigation into the drug operation began in March when police suspected illegal activity at a Mexican grocery store in Indianapolis, Reuters reports. Authorities ultimately found "$2.6 million in drug assets" hidden in a false roof of a tractor-trailer leaving the store. Months of surveillance led police to an Indianapolis warehouse "containing five large metal storage containers filled with plastic-wrapped marijuana."

About 20 agents from the DEA and Indiana's Metro Drug Unit investigated the drug operation, which led to four arrests.

Jairo Ramirez, 26, Efren Perez, 20, Julio Cesar Castaneda, 36 and Tomas Toledo, 29, were charged with conspiracy to possess drugs with the intent to distribute and distributing 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana. Castaneda and Toledo were also in the United States illegally, Reuters reports.

"I'd love it if this investigation could go straight back to Mexico and we could indict a member of the cartel," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler told the Associated Press. "That would certainly be the goal."

Check out photos of the bust here, courtesy of the Marion County Prosecutor's Office:

Comments

[333Cathy]

06:44 PM on 11/02/2011

I wish they'd quit arresting my pot dealers!

[karianez]

05:08 PM on 10/27/2011

They should have went a few blocks down the road and busted Eli Lilly. There's your drug cartel and dope pushers.

[Jay Fleming]

08:47 AM on 10/27/2011

5 Tons of marijuana, that's nothing, here in Arizona U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 83,000 pounds between Sept 5th and October 8th, that's $66,400,000.00 at $800 a pound.

Imagine how much made it across the border, imagine if we taxed it, rather than burn it.....

[Wendy Stewart]

11:05 PM on 10/26/2011

Damn, I could really use a joint right now. lol

[tomeb]

07:11 PM on 10/26/2011

"Jairo Ramirez, 26, Efren Perez, 20, Julio Cesar Castaneda, 36 and Tomas Toledo, 29, were charged with conspiracy to possess drugs with the intent to distribute and distributing 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana. Castaneda and Toledo were also in the United States illegally, Reuters reports"..

They're doing the jobs Americans dont want to do... Now they cant go back and will have to stay and we will pay...

[msferrari2000]

05:48 PM on 10/26/2011

that's great...how many years will they get in prison at tax payer's cost of $50,000
a year????
another thought is if pot was legal all those estimated values like $5 million
dollars would only be worth $500,000

[LibertarianCentrist]

04:25 PM on 10/26/2011

Is it wrong that I want to unwrap all the bags, spread it all around and dive in it like Scrooge McDuck?

[msdusti]

03:44 PM on 11/02/2011

NO!!! LOL.

[R-TRUTH]

09:08 AM on 10/26/2011

For all those folks that like pot just picture this. Would you let your dentist do dental work on you after smoking pot, better yet would you let a doctor operate on your kids to save their life after smoking a few joints. All people who uses any type of drug should be put on an island and given all the drugs they want so they can overdose themselves and save the counselors, law enforcement and border patrol extra work and eat more R-TRUTH doughnuts at his doughnut store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mojito]

09:57 AM on 10/26/2011

So I assume you would allow a doctor to operate on your kids after a few shots of gin. And I don't know of anyone that doesn't use some form of drugs everyday, dude there are 10 million drug stores in America. I think you are on something now.

[RageVsMachine]

12:05 PM on 10/26/2011

Do you want your soldiers guarding Afghan poppy fields so that Big Pharma can fleece our country's senior citizens? Do you have any grasp of drug policy and the need for reform whatsoever? Didn't think so.

[bdratka]

07:44 AM on 10/26/2011

Good job for the undercover police. Now instead of burning up the pot it should be used as medical marijuana if not in their state it should be sold to states that offer it for medical use only. The sale of the free pot should be used to feed the poor in Indiana's outlying communitie's where unemployment is at it's worst. Let the drug cartel's money help those who are hurting the most Feed The Poor, and and use the money to provide madical asistance. God only knows the poor need it. B

[NancyY]

07:11 AM on 10/26/2011

Here's a shout-out to all the illegal sympathizers who live in the northern states - think that the border wars are just on the border? GUESS AGAIN!!

[Arturo Salcedo]

02:31 PM on 10/26/2011

the guy is a drug dealer not a emigrant trying to support hes family! you like many people blame the people who build this country for your misery, do some for your country unsted of blameing other people, educate yourself and life may be batter for you, no illegal has take food from you. ignorance, is the problem not the illegals, who trying to make living in a country ones they own

[msferrari2000]

05:40 PM on 10/26/2011

wow...i think i would have understood this post better
if you typed it in spanish and i don't know spanish! lol

[Xero Droll]

11:10 PM on 10/26/2011

Instead of seizing the day, how about trying to get a grip on reality?

[Danny Fry]

01:19 AM on 10/26/2011

How sad..............

[rkmuggsy31]

05:12 AM on 10/26/2011

Yea, I agree. Please let me know which way the wind is blowing when they start burning this stuff.

[edenooch]

09:30 PM on 10/25/2011

it was probly a bunch of stress

[rsteeb]

09:10 PM on 10/25/2011

Aren't we all so happy to see our tax revenues so productively spent keeping the price of weed up for all the cartels NOT involved with this operation?

[NancyY]

07:13 AM on 10/26/2011

So...you think that anyone should be able to take any substance and go out in public, including driving a vehicle on our tax-paid roads, where they may be a threat to everyone else? Don't you see something wrong with this mindset?

[RageVsMachine]

12:06 PM on 10/26/2011

There's nothing wrong with having a joint and driving, just like there's nothing wrong with having a couple beers and being under the legal limit of .08

[RageVsMachine]

12:07 PM on 10/26/2011

Taxpayers drive on our tax-paid roads on prescription narcotics DAILY.

[AndyWright68]

08:05 PM on 10/25/2011

What a waste. Nothing like criminalizing vegetation.

The government cares nothing about you. 50% of the people want marijuana legalized but not to worry those in power know what is best for the people and they will force all to comply.

[NancyY]

07:14 AM on 10/26/2011

Andy - cite your "50% of the people" survey sources, please...don't worry, I won't hold my breath on that one.

[AndyWright68]

09:14 AM on 10/26/2011

"PRINCETON, NJ -- A record-high 50% of Americans now say the use of marijuana should be made legal, up from 46% last year. Forty-six percent say marijuana use should remain illegal."
http://www.gallup.com/poll/150149/record-high-americans-favor-legalizing-marijuana.aspx

That was easy. Anything else?

[LibertarianCentrist]

04:29 PM on 10/26/2011

If you do hold your breath, make sure you have a lung full of THC!

[Dean77]

05:59 PM on 10/25/2011

Just some more hard working illegals looking for a better life in America.

[NancyY]

07:14 AM on 10/26/2011

"Doing the jobs Americans won't do..." Yeah.