Police departments and federal agencies from Denver and Pueblo, Colorado, San Francisco and Albuquerque, including the United States Postal Service all recently worked together to bust a methamphetamine drug source in Southern Colorado.

Together, the agencies seized 189 grams of heroin and 66 pounds of methamphetamine. They also uncovered 13 firearms, $111,000 in cash and 16 vehicles that are suspected to be a part of the drug trafficking ring. The drugs have an approximate street value of about $18 million.

According to the DEA's special agent in charge from the Denver division, the ring brought methamphetamine from Mexico into both Colorado and California. As of now, police have arrested seven people in connection with the drug trafficking ring. Five of the people arrested were from Pueblo, one from Pueblo West and another from Palo Alto, California.

The local Pueblo County Sheriff's department credited a tip from the public with setting off the investigation. The tip named one of the alleged perpetrators as Pueblo's source of the drugs and as one of the ring's leaders. The leader, a 32-year-old man from Palo Alto, California, had left Las Vegas, Nevada, when he was arrested. Investigators say they found meth -- two pounds of it -- in his vehicle.

Police also credit the teamwork between local and federal agencies with the arrests. The local Pueblo police department works closely with the DEA to identify and remove drugs from the streets of Pueblo.

Drug possession is a serious charge, however it's important to remember that defendants are entitled to receive a quality criminal defense. An attorney may be able to advise defendants of any long-term consequences of a plea or could take a close look at the police department's case to ensure that a defendant's rights are upheld.

Source: KKTV, "Major meth bust in Southern Colorado" No author given, Apr. 19, 2014