4 arrested in meth, marijuana bust at motel

By BEN BROWN The Daily Journal
Article Last Updated: 04/30/2008 08:25:49 AM PDT

In a bust described as puzzling by police, members of the Mendocino County Major Crimes Task Force raided a residential motel in South Ukiah Tuesday morning and seized more than a pound of methamphetamine.

Task Force Commander Bob Nishiyama said the Task Force had been investigating several men living at the Thunderbird Lodge at 2655 S. State St. on the belief that they were selling methamphetamine out of two rooms.

At around 7 a.m. Tuesday, officers served a search warrant on Room 8 and found Antonio Villanueve, 46, and Jose Garcia, 41, in the room. Officers seized 40 small "clone" marijuana plants and three quarters of an ounce of methamphetamine, Nishiyama said.

In Room 17, officers found Victor Ayala, 36, and Jose Quezada, 33, as well as three pounds of marijuana, a quarter ounce of methamphetamine, $19,000 in cash and a shotgun, Nishiyama said.

In Garcia's pocket, officers found the keys to a car parked in the motel parking lot. A search of the car revealed a pound of methamphetamine.

Nishiyama said the four men appeared to be selling methamphetamine in one-tenth of a gram bags, which sell for about $40 each. He said it is unusual to find people selling $40 doses of methamphetamine in possession of such a large amount of the drug as they normally only have an ounce.

"Usually we don't find that much dope where they're selling gram bags," he said.

"Guys selling $40 bags of dope are at the bottom of the food chain," Nishiyama said.

Nishiyama said he didn't know why the suspects had such a large amount of methamphetamine but said it was possible the Task Force had interrupted a delivery, or that there is a glut of methamphetamine in the market, or that the men may have stolen the drugs from someone else.

Garcia and Villanueve were arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine for sale. Additionally, Villanueve was arrested for violating his probation and Garcia was arrested for cultivation of marijuana.

Ayala and Quezada were arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine for sale, maintaining a residence for the sale of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm while committing a felony.

All four were booked into the Mendocino County Jail.

Ben Brown can be reached at udjbb@pacific.net