Two men are being charged with a federal drug offense following the confiscation of 44 pounds of cocaine outside of a hotel in West Michigan.
On November 21, federal law enforcement conducted an investigation in Grandville, which ultimately led to a seizure.
According to a criminal complaint filed by a Drug Enforcement Administration agent, the police were alerted to an individual in Texas who had the capability and willingness to supply significant quantities of cocaine from Chicago, Illinois to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Investigators utilized electronic surveillance to track the movement of two rental cars with out-of-state license plates, as per court records. Eventually, the vehicles arrived at a hotel located in the vicinity of 44th Street SW and I-196.
Tyrone Munoz and Raul Robledo have been identified as the drivers involved in the incident. According to court records, the police found one tightly-wrapped package of cocaine in one vehicle and 19 packages in the other vehicle.
A total of 20 kilograms of cocaine, which is equivalent to 44 pounds, were confiscated. The drugs were meticulously wrapped in brown duct tape. According to records, nineteen of the packages were discovered in a duffel bag inside a white Toyota, while the remaining package was found in a red Toyota.
Munoz and Robledo faced charges of possessing cocaine with the intention to distribute. Last week, they were indicted and subsequently pleaded not guilty to the 20-year felony offense.
The court has scheduled a pretrial conference for next month.