A suburban man is facing federal drug trafficking charges after DEA agents seized nearly 99 pounds of cocaine that prosecutors allege was stored and distributed from a Chicago produce warehouse.
The investigation into a drug trafficking and money laundering operation linked to a produce warehouse in the 2400 block of South Damen Avenue has been ongoing. Law enforcement officers have reportedly seized “multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine” that were typically kept inside white cardboard boxes labeled “Chile Type.”
These boxes were found to contain one-kilogram bricks of cocaine marked with agricultural equipment logos, including branding from John Deere.
In the early hours of Monday, January 19, agents conducted surveillance near the Damen Avenue warehouse. A maroon 2007 GMC Acadia pulled up to a loading ramp on the northeast side of the building, and Jose Luis Garcia Vazquez exited the SUV and entered the warehouse. He was seen carrying a heavy box as he exited the warehouse and loaded it into the SUV before driving away.
Following the vehicle to a gas station and then to Garcia Vazquez’s residence in Justice, officers approached him at his home. He was found with a white cardboard box labeled “Chile Type,” which a narcotics detection dog alerted to. A search of the SUV uncovered a second box containing brick-shaped packages of a white powdery substance, each box containing approximately 20 kilo-sized bricks of suspected cocaine wrapped in John Deere packaging.
Further search of Garcia Vazquez’s basement residence revealed five additional brick-shaped packages of suspected cocaine hidden between the walls of a utility room. Four of the bricks had John Deere logos, while the fifth displayed a Caterpillar logo.
During a post-arrest interview conducted in Spanish, Garcia Vazquez reportedly admitted to agreeing to pick up and deliver cocaine for an individual he met through an acquaintance in Mexico. He claimed to have completed similar deliveries about three times before, earning approximately $200 per box.
Garcia Vazquez has been charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.
This original reporting is made possible by the support of our readers. If you would like to contribute to our work, click here to show your support.
