Crime
UPDATE: Biggest meth bust in La Crosse history; 3 jailed with $50,000-$150,000 bonds
The biggest meth bust in La Crosse history.
Three men from outside the area are accused of having 11 pounds of meth, after being pulled over in La Crosse County.
Street value for that much meth is about $124,000.
This story was first posted Jan. 21. Police sent a news release on the arrests at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 25.
They were arrested last Thursday while La Crosse Police were monitoring activity in a specific neighborhood. A canine sniff indicated the presence of drugs in the car, revealing 12 bags of methamphetamine inside a backpack in the trunk, police said.
The three arrested were Armando Lara Nieto, 49, and Emmanuel Flores Sauceda, 39, who are from the Twin Cities area, along with Juventino Lara Plancarte, 53, who is from Los Angeles.
Prosecutor Danielle Kranz asked for a high cash bond, noting that the suspects, including Flores Sauceda, have no ties to the area. The defense asked for a signature bond for Flores Sauceda.
Judge Ramona Gonzalez accepted the prosecutions request.
Lara Plancarte is being held in the La Crosse County Jail on $150,000 cash bond, while the other two are set at $50,000.
The three men face identical charges of possessing over 50 grams of meth. They’re scheduled for court hearings late next week.
