ARIZONA NEWS

3 men accused of conspiring to sell large amounts of meth in Arizona

Oct 30, 2024, 10:08 AM | Updated: 10:10 am

Arizona drug ring...

Methamphetamine is produced in a variety of forms, including powder, crystal, rocks and tablets. (U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Photo)

(U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Photo)

PHOENIX – Three men were recently arrested for their alleged involvement in a southern Arizona drug ring, federal authorities announced Tuesday.

Jose Gracia-Vega, 28, of Tucson, Ulises Yescas-Garcia, 23, of Tucson and Sebastian Higuera-Fuentes, 22, of Nogales, Mexico, are accused of conspiring to sell large amounts of methamphetamine in Tucson since February, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

Methamphetamine, or meth, is a powerful and highly addictive stimulant that is often produced, or “cooked,” in crude labs using store-bought chemicals, according to the Department of Justice. The illegal drug is sold in a variety of forms, including powder, crystal, rocks and tablets.

Gracia-Vega allegedly was in possession of 27 pounds of meth he intended to sell when he was arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force operation on Oct. 17, prosecutors said.

According to a federal criminal complaint, the other two men supplied Gracia-Vega with the drugs in a meeting that morning.

What charges do Arizona drug ring suspects face?

Gracia-Vega was charged with intent to distribute methamphetamine the day after his arrest.

Yescas-Garcia and Higuera-Fuentes, who had been named in a seven-count indictment on Oct. 2, were arrested the same day Gracia-Vega. The charges against the pair include conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting distribution of methamphetamine.

The investigation into the southern Arizona drug ring is being conducted by multiple federal agencies as well as the Marana Police Department, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

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3 men accused of conspiring to sell large amounts of meth in Arizona