Federal agents have arrested two San Benito residents who authorities said were dealing crack cocaine from a San Benito home, federal court documents state.
Juan Carlos Flores, 70, and Jessica Cuellar, 42, had reportedly been distributing the drugs from the residence for the last two months, a federal criminal complaint states.
According to a statement provided by Cuellar, she admitted to conducting between 40 to 50 transactions per day. The woman stated when she received the money from the drug transactions she would give the money to Flores who in turn would provide the narcotics to be sold, the federal complaint states.
Agents seized 33 grams of crack cocaine that were in 76 self-sealing plastic baggies, the federal complaint states.
Flores and Cuellar made their initial appearance Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III. They were ordered to be held without bond. Their next court date is scheduled for March 3.
The complaint states agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and San Benito police executed a search warrant on the home at 10:15 a.m. Monday. As the warrant was being executed, authorities encountered Flores and Cuellar. “Flores had been previously identified in this ongoing investigation as a crack cocaine distributor and stash house care taker,” according to the federal complaint.
As the agents entered the home they noticed the drugs inside. “Agents observed two pill bottles containing pre-packaged bags of what appeared to be crack cocaine sitting on a table next to the door,” the federal complaint states.
Flores and Cuellar were immediately arrested and transported to the San Benito Police Department.
Both were advised of their rights and Cuellar said she was willing to speak to the agents where she admitted to helping sell drugs. Although Flores admitted to knowing that drugs were being sold from the residence, he refused to provide any additional information, the federal complaint states. When pressed for further information, Flores asked for an attorney to be present.
