Area drug bust nets 700 pounds of marijuana

ROYAL CITY - A Moses Lake man will appear in U.S. District Court in Spokane today following his arrest last week and the confiscation of 700 pounds of marijuana.

Luis M. Farias, 33, was charged with the manufacture of marijuana plants, according to information from the court. He was arrested after officers served search warrants on three locations Tuesday night.

Detectives from the INET and DEA searched homes on Fourth Street Northwest in Moses Lake, Road A Southwest near Royal City and West Atkinson Road near Othello in Adams County.

Officers seized an undisclosed amount of cash as well as the marijuana at the three locations.

The raid was the result of a joint investigation that lasted several months and is still ongoing, Rectenwald said. More people may be charged.

"We are fortunate in Grant County to have strong partnerships with federal agencies, and this investigation demonstrates how effective those partnerships are," Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones said. "I am very proud of the INET detectives and their ability to coordinate this investigation with their DEA colleagues." The task force is comprised of Grant County Sheriff's detectives and officers from the state patrol, Moses Lake Police Department and Quincy Police Department.