COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Colorado Springs Police officers made 19 arrests earlier this month in a connection with a heroin investigation that dates back to May 2011.
According to officers, narcotics detectives began the investigation by making a series of undercover purchases to identify several suspects.
In March of this year, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI officials began a separate investigation into a regional heroin investigation, which they discovered was tied to the one in the city.
More undercover purchases lead to more suspects and also lead to rumors that the group was distributing drugs to high school students.
Officers began arresting suspects June 5 and found they had two pounds of heroin, three ounces of cocaine, three guns and $14,500 in cash.
The next day, officials arrested nine more suspects. They also said four people posing as heroin customers threatened a police officer and were going to rob him. Those four were rival heroin distributors and were also arrested.
Eight of the 19 people arrested were under 21.
Here are the 18 adults busted this month:
Taylor Paul Fuller, 18 years old
Krista Rose Eileen Gustafson, 18 years old
Michael Reed Kemp, 19 years old
Donovan Sisneros Jr., 19 years old
Gabriel Adam McKinsey, 19 years old
Brian Brett Cogan, 20 years old
Crystal Nicole Sparks, 20 years old
Rachel Leah Dickman, 21 years old
Melodie Rose Bishel, 22 years old
Terry James Smith, 23 years old
Gabriel Medina Jr., 23 years old
Clayton Roy Martin, 24 years old
Josue Leyva-Rojo, 28 years old
Seth Michael Berger, 30 years old
Jorge Alberto Rodriguez-Lopez, 33 years old
Jose Manuel Brambila, 33 years old
Ismael Jacobo-Esquirel, 39 years old
Francisco Uribe-Contreras, 46 years old
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKXRM