Nearly 11,000 pounds of marijuana — or 5 1/2 tons — were seized Saturday on the Northwest Side in what officials are calling one of the largest residential seizures in Tucson-area history.
The marijuana carries an estimated street value of $5.5 million, said Deputy Dawn Hanke, a spokeswoman for the Pima County Sheriff's Department.
While authorities say the bust is one of the largest at a residence, they could not say exactly how it ranked without verifying that through records.
The Counter Narcotics Alliance, a multi-agency task force, discovered the marijuana in a home in the 1000 block of East Orange Grove Road, near North First Avenue, and in a vehicle, said Hanke.
Hanke gave the following account:
The seizure came after a neighbor called to report a possible burglary in progress at the home shortly after midnight. As deputies arrived, they saw and attempted to stop two vehicles — a van and a Nissan Titan — that were near the home, but the drivers refused to stop.
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As the van drove away, it hit a median, and the driver got out and ran. That person had not been located late Saturday.
After spiking the tires of the Titan at Orange Grove and North La Cañada Drive, and again at Orange Grove and North La Cholla Boulevard, deputies were able to take three men from the truck into custody, though they also tried to run away.
The men identified themselves as Victor Delarosa, 46, Jorge Alberto Lamadrid, 26, and Edgar Lamadrid, 20, when being booked into the Pima County jail on suspicion of drug transportation for sale.
However, authorities could not confirm their names Saturday because it was unclear if they gave their true names, Hanke said.
The suspect who gave his name as Delarosa is being held without bond, while those who said they are Edgar and Jorge Lamadrid are being held in lieu of $500,000 bond each.
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