[1]Courtesy photo by Centralia Police Department
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Centralia police seized pounds of methamphetamine and bundles of cash yesterday morning when they made two traffic stops around 9:40 a.m., one in town and the other north of Centralia on Old Highway 99 in south Thurston County.
Two local men were arrested.
Members of the Centralia Police Department Anti Crime team were working with drug detectives from the Tacoma area, according to Officer John Panco.
Both vehicles were impounded.
In the door panels of a silver Toyota FJ Cruiser, police found more than $110,000 in currency, according to Panco. In the Ford Explorer, a plastic bag containing numerous pounds of meth was discovered, Panco said.
Arrested were Ascencion Ortega Garcia, 34 of Centralia, and Venacio Bastian Tolentino, 37 of Rochester, according to the Centralia Police Department. Both are citizens of Mexico, according to Panco.
The arrests grew out of an ongoing investigation, according to police.
Panco said he understood the men were booked into the Thurston County Jail.
Panco said police are not releasing any more details at this time.
[2]Courtesy photo by Centralia Police Department