Sheriff's team: Bust turns up $1 million in drugs
By MERRILL BALASSONE
The Modesto Bee

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/268/story/672505.html

TURLOCK -- The Merced County Sheriff's Department found nearly $1 million in drugs Tuesday afternoon on a chicken ranch-turned-meth lab on East Greenway Avenue just south of Highway 99.

Authorities arrested Heriberto Avalos, 38, and Jose Alfredo Talavera, 53, after finding 30 pounds of methamphetamine in an ice chest and in several rooms of a mobile home in the 1700 block of East Greenway Avenue.

Deputies said they found an additional 12 pounds of cocaine after deputies obtained a search warrant. The drugs were discovered by a drug-sniffing black Lab named Rio in a compartment for a spare tire in a gray Mitsubishi Galant on the property.

The two suspects face a host of drug charges, including the manufacture and possession for sale of methamphetamine, Deputy Tom MacKenzie said.

He said the property is within a mile or two of the Merced County line and even though the lab is in Stanislaus County, the Merced County's Sheriff's Tactical and Reconnaissance team responded just after noon Tuesday after receiving information that drugs were being sold out of the home, authorities said.

He said if the drugs were broken down for single-use sales they would bring in several million dollars on the street, MacKenzie said.

Authorities, who also found a large amount of cash, said they were not aware of any other people living on the property.