Two California men who were arrested in Mercer County, New Jersey, with over 50 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and nine kilograms of heroin appeared today in Trenton federal court, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Gabriel Acosta Villa, 29, of Lake Forest, California, and Oscar Perez Jr., 23, of Santa Ana, California, are both charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. They appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois H. Goodman and were detained.
On June 17, 2018, law enforcement officers received information that a commercial truck driver and his accomplice planned to sell approximately 50 pounds of crystal methamphetamine to a buyer in the Trenton area. Law enforcement officers set up surveillance near the parking lot of a Robbinsville, New Jersey, restaurant and observed Acosta walking through the parking lot with two large bags. After Acosta entered a nearby vehicle, law enforcement officers stopped the vehicle and discovered 51.31 pounds of a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.
After detaining Acosta, law enforcement officers searched the area and discovered Perez walking alone near the loading docks of a nearby hardware store.
A large white tractor trailer was parked nearby with the engine still running. A subsequent search of the tractor’s cab uncovered 9.5 kilograms of a substance that tested positive for heroin.