Early Tuesday Nov. 21, police seized 41 kilograms of cocaine worth approximately $4 million and arrested three men in one of the largest drug busts in Wisconsin's history.
Jose Olivas-Lopez, Israel Aguilera and Francisco ""Pancho"" Cazares-Olivas, all of whom reside in Madison, are the three who were arrested. Federal, state and local police combined forces and made the arrests at approximately 5:30 p.m. Monday evening at the Travel America gas station, 5901 Highway 51, situated just a few miles north of the Dane County Regional Airport.
According to the U.S. attorney general's office in Madison, Olivas-Lopez was the first man detained for trying to sell cocaine after police were informed by a confidential source about the drug deal. Shortly thereafter, the other two men showed up at the gas station allegedly looking for Olivas-Lopez and were arrested.
After the arrests were made, a search warrant was issued for a town house at 935 S. Gammon Road, where the three men lived. Authorities obtained 41 kilograms of cocaine, $25,000 in cash and a scale from the house in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.
Dane County Sheriff Gary Hamblin, who played a role in the arrests, said the case has already been turned over to the U.S. attorney general's office and is out of his hands, but he did mention this drug bust was one of Wisconsin's largest.
Assistant Attorney General Timothy O'Shea has set the case for hearing on Dec. 1. The three men could face separate sentences of life in jail if convicted.
