ECTOR COUNTY, TX (KWES) - Two men were arrested Wednesday night following a drug bust that resulted in the seizure of large quantities of methamphetamine and marijuana, Ector County authorities said.
Ruben Hernandez, 26, and Henry Alaniz, 32, were both in federal custody Thursday night, officials confirmed. Charges are pending.
Investigators arrived at 8809 W. Swan Rd. Wednesday around 10:20 p.m. to execute a search warrant, according to the Ector County Sheriff's Office, and seized approximately 675 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 434 grams of suspected marijuana, two guns reported stolen in Dallas and an undisclosed amount of cash.
"It just turned into one of those deals where you go, 'Wow, here's more, here's more [and] here's more," said Sgt. Gary Duesler.
Authorities are conducting an ongoing investigation into Hernandez and Alaniz, he said, and could not confirm Thursday if the pair were involved in any drug distribution or manufacturing schemes.
"It's a possibility," said Duesler. "There's a difference between having a little baggie of marijuana and hundreds of grams of marijuana. That makes a difference in what you're doing with it."
Swan Road residents said the arrests confirmed their suspicions that "something was going on" in the corner house.
Methamphetamine-related arrests have increased across Ector County in the past few years, according to Duesler, following previous drug "trends."
"Years ago, the big deal was cocaine," he explained. "Then it was marijuana. It seems the trend right now is methamphetamine."
Cocaine and marijuana remain prevalent, he said, along with a wide range of other illegal substances.
"There's nowhere in Ector County where, within a one-block radius, you can't find any drug of choice," said Duesler. "It's sad to say, but it's a fact."
