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Police arrest 3 in Austin’s ‘biggest’ meth bust

By Miguel Liscano
The Austin American-Statesman

AUSTIN, Texas — Austin police have arrested three people who they say are connected with the largest single day seizure of crystal methamphetamine ever for the police department, Cmdr. Sean Mannix said.

Sophie Venegas, 23, Alejandro Solis, 24, Fredis Benitez Sanchez, 25, are being held without bail in the Travis County Jail on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics, Mannix said.

Mannix said officers on Thursday executed four search warrants that yielded roughly 11 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and about 9 pounds of cocaine, worth about a $1 million combined, Mannix said.

The search warrants were executed at two Northwest Austin apartments in the 13000 block of Legendary Drive and another apartment in the 3400 block of West Parmer Lane, police said. A fourth search warrant was for a package police say was picked up by Sanchez and had about $63,600 inside, police said.

Police seized more than $95,000 in cash, including the money in the package, and three vehicles and one handgun, Mannix said.

Copyright 2008 The Austin American-Statesman