Dealers on a stretch of Imperial Avenue in San Diego allegedly moved more than $2 million worth of cocaine a month before federal authorities shut the operation down in July, according to court documents. Thirty alleged gang members and associates now face conspiracy charges for distributing cocaine and cocaine base, with all defendants pleading not guilty at arraignment.
The figures come from a report by Times of San Diego, which detailed how the market fed a network of low-level dealers operating on both sides of Interstate 5. Investigators believe customers purchased about 20 pounds of cocaine weekly on the Grant Hill block alone, and the reach of the operation extended into Logan Heights, Sherman Heights, and parts of downtown including East Village.
The case traces back to a pre-dawn operation on July 15, when authorities shut down the open-air drug market centered at Imperial Avenue and 29th Street. More than 350 federal, state, and local officers executed 21 search warrants on homes and vehicles that day, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. The San Diego Police Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, Chula Vista Police Department, and National City Police Department all took part alongside the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force – Gang Group.
Millions in Product Seized Steps From Downtown
Investigators seized 11 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $550,000, more than $14,000 in U.S. currency, two handguns, and a money-counting device during the raids. U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said the market operated with impunity and audacity, making millions of dollars a month just a mile or two from Petco Park, the Gaslamp Quarter, downtown businesses, luxury condos, restaurants and hotels…