A five-month narcotics investigation culminated Tuesday in 11 simultaneous search warrants executed across Montgomery, netting nearly 16 kilograms of marijuana, hundreds of grams of MDMA and synthetic drugs, five firearms and more than $14,000 in cash. Two Montgomery men were arrested and booked into jail as authorities say the investigation is still active and could lead to more arrests.
The operation was led by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's State Bureau of Investigation and the Alabama Attorney General's Office, according to elmoreautauganews.com, which reported the five-month probe culminated in warrants carried out at locations throughout the city on Oct. 27. AL.com reported the raids were part of a state-led effort that resulted in the seizure of drugs and firearms and the jailing of two men.
What Investigators Say They Found
Authorities reported seizing 15,932 grams of marijuana, according to AL.com's reporting on the operation. The same haul included 243 grams of synthetic controlled substances commonly known as Spice and 516 grams of MDMA, or ecstasy — equivalent to roughly 3,400 pills — per the elmoreautauganews.com account.
Investigators also recovered 33 grams of cocaine and crack cocaine along with $14,157.93 in U.S. currency, AL.com reported. On the weapons side, AL.com reported five firearms were seized, including one confirmed stolen from Montgomery, plus three AR-style upper receivers along with assorted ammunition and magazines.
Two Men Arrested, Bond Set at $150,000 Each
Rodriquez Oates, 39, and Leon Howard III, 42, both of Montgomery, were arrested and booked into the Montgomery County Jail, the outlet's report states. The two accounts diverge on the exact charges: elmoreautauganews.com reported Oates was charged with one count of trafficking marijuana while Howard faced one count of second-degree receiving stolen property, whereas AL.com reported that both men were charged with one count each of second-degree receiving stolen property. Both men reportedly had bond set at $150,000 each, per AL.com.
A Multi-Agency Push With Federal Backup
The effort drew on ALEA's SBI special agents assigned to the Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Metro Area Crime Suppression Unit, along with SWAT teams from the Prattville, Montgomery and Wetumpka police departments and the Montgomery, Autauga, Chilton and Lee county sheriff's offices, and investigators from the Wetumpka and Montgomery police departments and the Autauga County Sheriff's Office. ALEA also deployed its own Special Weapons and Tactics team and aviation unit to support the warrants. Federal partners included Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to elmoreautauganews.com.
Authorities say the investigation remains open, and additional charges and arrests may still follow as the case develops, per the same outlet's report. No further details on the specific locations searched or a complete itemized inventory of seized property have been released.
