Deputies Seize 64 Pounds of Cocaine, Arrest 3

Sheriff’s deputies in Lynwood have seized nearly 64 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $8.7 million and arrested three people for drug trafficking, a sheriff’s official said Tuesday.

Authorities believe that the three suspects were part of a cocaine ring that is active throughout Southern California and in Mexico. Booked at the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station on suspicion of possessing cocaine and marijuana for sale were Evangelina Chavaria, 33; Alberto Alvarez, 29, and Maria Diaz, 31. A monthlong investigation led to the issuance of a search warrant and the bust at 11231 Duncan St., officials said. A deputy and her police dog, “Blitz,” found the cocaine on top of a box in the garage, and the marijuana nearby, the officials said.

The pure cocaine was probably bought for about $800,000 in Mexico, but would have been sold on the street in Southern California, in different forms, for more than $8 million, officials said.