In what Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard described as a “major drug bust,” two men living illegally in Michigan were arrested on charges of attempting to distribute $1 million in cocaine.
The investigation yielded a successful result with the seizure of 10 kilograms of cocaine. The presence of men living illegally in the country and distributing drugs during a period of intense addiction and abuse, however, is a major concern, according to Bouchard.
Hong Yuan Li, 40, of China, and Rosario Eduardo Trejo Quintero, 44, of Mexico, were two of the suspects arrested, he said, citing China and Mexico as the two most common points of origin for drugs entering the country.
“The Major County Sheriffs of America and myself believe first and foremost, you have to secure the border. If you don’t have a secure border, you don’t know who’s coming in the country and what is coming in the country,” he said.
“Well what we know is coming in the country for sure is a significant increase in drugs.”
Bouchard referenced a Department of Homeland Security statistic indicating a 43 percent increase in fentanyl coming into The Country.
The cocaine seized during the exchange between the two suspects was tested and found to be devoid of fentanyl. The parties involved, however, represented a failure by US immigration enforcement to adequately secure the country’s northern and southern borders, according to Bouchard.
The arrest took place on April 21 in the greater Pontiac area.
The suspect from Mexico was dropped off by an Uber driver, who then met up with the suspect from China.
Li was carrying a 9 mm pistol with him. In 2006, he was deported by the United States. It’s unclear how he returned to the United States.
Bouchard refused to elaborate on how the investigation began or where it led law enforcement. The arrest in Pontiac did not imply that there was any drug trafficking in the metropolitan area.
Both suspects have been charged and are listed as co-defendants on the indictment. They’re being held on a $1 million dollar bond.
