Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of meth seized in Indy home

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Police have dealt a big blow to a possible drug trafficking ring with international ties.

Wednesday, local drug task force and federal DEA agents found hundreds of thousands of dollars of methamphetamine and other drugs are discovered in a home near the Indianapolis International Airport. Authorities raided a home in the 1900 block of Dutch Elm Street. What they found inside shows it was no ordinary bust:

• $450,000 in meth
• $15,000 in cocaine
• A loaded 9 mm hand gun
• Marijuana
• $76,000 in cash

Police said two people ran when approached by officers as they left the home. Only one was caught: Jose Castaneda-Gonzalez, 22, who was found to be in the U.S. illegally and to have been deported to Mexico after a previous arrest.

Capt. Robert Mercuri with Beech Grove Police Department would not confirm this may have been a staging point for a Mexican drug cartel, but he acknowledged all signs point to a large-scale operation.

“Not just because they are from Mexico, but that is the nature of the business. It’s how you make money. You move from state to state, keeping it going,” Mercuri said. “… Methamphetamine can be made anywhere, but when you are talking this large amount, it’s a serious organization that’s working.”

Castaneda-Gonzalez is facing preliminary felony charges for possession and dealing of methamphetamine cocaine and marijuana. Each carries up to 20 years in prison.