A Yuba-Sutter drug task force says this methamphetamine was recovered during an investigation involving drugs being sold from an Olivehurst taco truck.
OLIVEHURST, CA - Crystal meth, marijuana plants and thousands of dollars in suspected drug money were discovered after a thre- month investigation into three men operating a taco food truck in Olivehurst.
"They would park it at the corner and most of the time they were actually selling some food," said Martin Horan, commander of the Yuba-Sutter NET-5 task force. "You could order a taco and get some methamphetamine."
Investigators said brothes Juan Pae-Olague, 22, and Ernesto Paez-Olague, 25, parked the taco truck less than a quarter mile from a school on Seventh Avenue and Fleming Way and sold large amounts of meth. Undercover narcotics agents purchased several $500 lots from the men before setting up a raid in several areas of town.
"We were buying quarter to half ounce lots of methamphetamine from them," said Horan.
A series of drug raids were conducted early Wednesday morning. Officials arrested the Paez-Olague brothers at their shared home on the 4300 block of Evelyn Drive. Detectives reported recovering more than $8,500 from suspected drug transactions inside the house.
Investigators also seized up to four ounces of crystal meth and 160 marijuana plants during a connected raid on the 3900 block of Mary Avenue. Officials said the crystal meth had a street value of $11,000. The marijuana plants were estimated to be worth up to $400,000.
Horton said police didn't arrest the 40-year-old home owner on Mary Avenue out of concern for a medical condition. However, investigators recommended charges to the Yuba County District Attorney's Office and were waiting to see if a judge will issue an arrest warrant.
The Paez-Olague brothers were booked into Yuba County Jail on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of marijuana for sale, conspiracy and sale of drugs near a school.
Bail for the suspects was set at $50,000 each.
By Natalie Sentz, nsentz@news10.net
News10/KXTV