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Last updated on Tuesday, October 3, 2017
(COLUMBUS) - Authorities have arrested two people from Columbus accused of dealing meth and having ties to the Mexican drug cartel.
Police arrested 50-year-old Lucilma and 53-year-old Miguel Santana after an extensive investigation lasting more than a year.
Columbus police describe the two as "high level dealers" contributing a large amount of meth in Columbus and south central Indiana
"When undercover buys were conducted we were dealing not in ounces, like we usually deal with, but rather in pounds of meth that were being purchased," says Lt. Matt Harris with Columbus Police Department.
During the investigation more than 30 pounds of meth and more than $300,000 were recovered.
Police served a search warrant at a home in the 300 block of Center Street in Columbus on Friday. Lucilma was arrested during that raid. Authorities say her husband had already left the state.
At the same time authorities served search warrants in Florida but didn't locate Miguel. At approximately 2:30 p.m. on Friday, an officer with the Houston Police Department in Texas stopped Miguel Santana for a minor traffic violation. During the stop, the officer confirmed that there were multiple felony meth dealing warrants out for Santana's arrest. He was arrested, without incident. Police say that he will be extradited back to Indiana.
Miguel and Lucilma Santana are both facing numerous felony charges. According to Columbus police, the investigation is ongoing and more arrests and charges are expected.
Narcotics investigators say that the husband and wife were major players in the local drug trade and were believed to be involved in two large profile drug busts made in 2016 in Bartholomew County. One bust was on South Gladstone Avenue and the other at the Hilltop Mobile Home Park. In the last 18 months, Harris says that detectives have arrested approximately one dozen associates of the Santana's on narcotics charges.
Columbus police say they worked with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and various law enforcement agencies in Indiana, Florida and Texas on this case.
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