A kind of methamphetamine called “blue ice” that police believe is coming from Mexico turned up in two drug busts Tuesday in Calhoun, Ga., authorities said.
“We’ve really seen it pick up in the last year,” said Gordon County Chief Deputy Robert Paris. “It’s just cheaper, easier and less risky then trying to make it.”
Five people were arrested in the culmination of a months-long undercover investigation.
First, Gordon County Sheriff’s detectives arrested José Estrada, 32, of 211 Gordon Ave. on charges of trafficking and distributing meth and marijuana, reports show. Detectives took several pounds of marijuana and $6,000 in cash from his home, reports show.
Then detectives arrested four people after an undercover agent accepted a pound of meth in a restaurant parking lot off Highway 53, Paris said.
Two were identified as Juan Carlos Jacobo, 30, of 957 Newtown Road and Martin Bentancourt Urtiz, 17, of 253 Landon Court. The other two, a male and female, were juveniles, Paris said.
Detectives seized a Chevrolet pickup truck, a Lincoln Navigator and more than $15,000 in cash, reports show.
Jacobo will be charged with trafficking, conspiracy, possession and distribution of methamphetamine. Urtiz will be charged with trafficking, reports show.
Estrada faces charges of two counts of trafficking, sale and distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He also is charged with sale and distribution of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to traffic and distribute meth and marijuana, the report shows.
Law enforcement is seeing more imported meth, specifically blue ice, in the region, said Patrick Doyle, deputy commander of the Lookout Mountain Drug Task Force in Dade, Catoosa and Walker counties.
“We’ve done so many meth labs in this region, it’s gotten safer to import,” Doyle said.