MONTROSE, Colo. — Thirteen Montrose residents were indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver and charged with the drug distribution crimes, according to a release Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Authorities arrested 11 of the 13 suspects. Two suspects — Omar Briceno-Quijano, 29, and Romeo Lujan, 28 — remain on the run.
Those in custody include:
- Ofelia Lopez, 49
- Luis Alberto Ibarra-Tadeo, 26
- Angelina Maestas, 32
- Joseph Davis, 26
- Naomi Vaughn, 35
- Jonte LeFlore, 34
- Dustin Debarris, 31
- Steven Keith Jones, 33
- Frank Arroyo, 44
- Amanda Lee Sumpter, 49
Federal authorities are accusing the 13 suspects of being part of a drug operation that distributed methamphetamine and heroin in and around the Montrose area.
Local, state and federal authorities began their investigation in January of last year after the Drug Enforcement Administration recognized the increased availability of meth in the Montrose area, according to the release.
The 11 suspects in custody are making their initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Grand Junction.