42 Pounds of Cocaine Seized at Border Over Weekend ‎

Cocaine Found at Border

Federal agents staffing the San Ysidro Port of Entry over the holiday weekend found nearly 42 pounds of cocaine concealed by would- be drug smugglers inside boxes of soap and under the dashboard of a motorbike, authorities reported Tuesday.

About 10 p.m. Saturday, two U.S. women entered the inspection station in a 2003 Saturn L200, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

During a search of the vehicle, CBP officers discovered a dozen packages of cocaine inside two boxes of laundry detergent in the trunk of the car. The stash of narcotics weighed more than 29 pounds and had an estimated street value of $294,000.

The driver and her passenger, ages 31 and 34, were arrested and transported to Metropolitan Correctional Center in downtown San Diego. The vehicle and the illegal drug were confiscated.

About 9 a.m. Monday, a 20-year-old Mexican citizen rode into the border station aboard a Yamaha Majesty scooter. While agents were looking over the two- wheeler, a detector dog alerted them to the presence of possible contraband toward the front of it.

Officers then discovered and extracted nine wrapped packages of cocaine from within the motorbike's control-panel housing. The drug haul weighed a total of more than 12 pounds and had a projected street value of $120,000.

The rider was arrested and transported to the federal lockup facility near Horton Plaza. His scooter was seized along with the illicit drug.

The suspects' names were not released.

Real Estate Agent Arraigned for Fraud

An Escondido real estate agent, his wife and seven other area mortgage-industry professionals were arraigned in federal court in San Diego Tuesday on charges stemming from an alleged multimillion-dollar fraud scheme targeting vulnerable low-income immigrants seeking to buy homes.

According to a criminal indictment, Eric Elegado, 47, owned and operated real-estate and mortgage-brokerage businesses in San Diego and conspired with his co-defendants, whom he employed, to obtain mortgage loans for unqualified buyers through falsified employment and salary information on loan documents.

Elegado allegedly directed the compromised mortgage loans to be processed by his 47-year-old wife, Charmagne, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In order to further the fraudulent scheme, the defendants allegedly created and got others to create false records -- such as W-2s, bank statements, rental-income accountings, ownership papers and bank-deposit documents -- as bogus verification of income listed on false loan applications.

According to the indictment, the fraudulent documents induced lenders to issue more than $50 million in loans. Mortgage companies, lending institutions and financial institutions lost more than $15 million through the alleged scheme, prosecutors charge.

Facing multiple counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and criminal forfeiture in the case along with the Elegados are 28-year-old Minh Nguyen of San Marcos; and San Diego residents Theodore Cohen, 54; Alexander V. Garcia, 38; Roderick Huerto, 34; Ramin Lotfi, 36; Roman Macabulos, 38, and Regidor Pacal, 51.

The defendants' next court appearance is scheduled for March 28 before U.S. District Judge Anthony Battaglia.

Apparent Road-Rage Leads to Arrests

Two parolees, a probationer and three juveniles were in custody Wednesday after an apparent road-rage incident in San Marcos led authorities to discover more than 35 grams of methamphetamine and over $2,500 in cash, a sheriff's sergeant said.

A man who had been driving his two daughters around the Coronado Hills area called 911 about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday to report that the driver of a Toyota sedan was attempting to run him off the road, said San Diego County sheriff's Sgt. Matt Blumenthal.

Deputies located the Toyota near Woodland Parkway and Barham Drive, Blumenthal said.

A pursuit ensued until the Toyota spun out at Barham Drive and Mission Road, Blumenthal said, noting the driver of the Toyota and five passengers were taken into custody.

The names of those arrested were not immediately released but the sergeant described them as two parolees, a probationer and three juveniles.

Inside the Toyota, deputies allegedly found more than 35 grams of methamphetamine and over $2,500 in cash.

-City News Service