What started as a Tuesday search warrant on the 20 block of N. Alton Avenue ended with Indianapolis police hauling out dozens of guns, a sizable stash of suspected narcotics and two people in handcuffs. The IMPD northwest district’s special teams and SWAT handled the operation, and both suspects were taken into custody at the scene. The investigation remains active while prosecutors review the case.
IMPD says search warrant turned up guns and drugs
Detectives with the Northwest Violence Reduction Team (VRT) and the Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF) executed the warrant at the northwest-side residence with assistance from IMPD SWAT. Officers seized a total of 47 firearms, including 27 handguns and 20 long guns, and recovered large quantities of suspected drugs: about 1,301 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 952.2 grams of marijuana, 184.4 grams of THC gummies and six THC vape cartridges of 2,000 mg each. The department assigned the investigation case number IP260012225, according to a post by IMPD News.
District teams in a wider crackdown
The Northwest VRT and VCTF are part of district-based teams that target violent offenders, illegal guns and large-scale narcotics activity. Local reporting shows the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force and IMPD seized hundreds of firearms and more than 120 pounds of narcotics over the past year, underscoring how these unit-level operations fit into a broader enforcement push, as reported by WRTV.
Who was arrested and what they’re accused of
IMPD identified the suspects as 22-year-old Austin Armando Juarez-Garcia and 18-year-old Josue Diaz, and said both were booked on preliminary counts of dealing in narcotics and dealing in marijuana. The department added that Juarez-Garcia had three active warrants with more than nine charges pending, including alleged criminal organization activity involving a firearm, unlawful carrying of a handgun with a prior conviction and domestic battery. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will decide formal charges, according to IMPD News.
Neighborhood impact and next steps…