CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) -
Cook County Sheriff's officers, Berwyn police and FBI officials have arrested three men in connection with a drug and gun ring in the west suburb.
Cook County Sheriff's officers working as part of the North Narcotics team targeted the men involved in street gangs near Berwyn in an investigation that began earlier in 2012, according to a statement from the Cook County Sheriff's office.
An undercover officer met with Marcelo Cruz, 26, who talked about the sale of cocaine and guns, according to the statement. The FBI were asked to get involved, and two firearms were purchased during seven meetings with Cruz.
Cruz sold the officers a lorcin 380 semiautomatic pistol and a hi-point 9mm semiautomatic pistol, both with the serial numbers scratched off. The undercover officers also purchased 729 grams of cocaine with a street value of about $219,000, according to the statement.
After he delivered 126 grams of cocaine to an undercover officer on Aug. 30, Cruz was arrested, according to the statement. He was charged with multiple counts of felony delivery of a controlled substance and two counts of felony firearm trafficking. Cruz appeared in bond court the day of his arrest, where he received a bond of $100,000.
Cruz, of Berwyn, is an admitted member of the Latin Counts Street Gang with 28 prior arrests going back to when he was 13.
Two other men were arrested and charged with felony manufacture and delivery of cannabis as part of the investigation, according to the statement.
Thomas Hubbard, 27, of Berwyn was arrested Aug. 31 after selling almost 600 grams of cannabis to undercover officers.
Arturo Herrera, 25, was arrested Aug. 30 after delivering more than 450 grams of cannabis to one of the undercover officers, according to the statement.
Hubbard and Herrera appeared in bond court on Sept. 1, where both received a bond set at $20,000, according to the statement. Hubbard has ten prior arrests and Herrera has been arrested twice before.
Officers are seeking three other men involved in the investigation who disappeared after hearing about the arrests. The men met with officers six times and sold them $about $83,000 worth of illegal drugs.
Anyone with information about the location of Ciprian Gogea, Eduardo Cortez and a man who uses the nickname "Pablo" should call the Cook County Sheriff's police at (708) 865-4743.
