Round Lake Park police have recovered $3 million worth of marijuana in a drug bust that they say is linked to a Mexican drug cartel.
On Saturday October 7 at around 4:15 p.m., Jose Avila-Zumadio, 32, of Guadalajara, Mexico, was stopped by Round Lake Park police for a traffic violation in the area of Route 134 and Fairlawn Drive near Hainesville. Avila-Zumadio was arrested for not having a valid drivers license.
Authorities said that during an inventory check of Avila-Zumadio’s vehicle, officers found 3.25 pounds of marijuana. The street value of the marijuana is approximately $15,000. Police officers also found Avila-Zumadio to be in possession of approximately $1,900 in cash. He also had a forged Mexican passport, Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko said.
Avila-Zumadio was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (class 2 felony), unlawful possession of a controlled substance (class 3 felony), and forgery (class 3 felony).
He was held overnight and appeared in bond court the next morning where a $500,000 bond was set.
Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko said that police continued investigating Zumadio’s activities. On Friday at around 3:00 p.m., with the assistance of the Round Lake Beach Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office K9 and the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office, both Round Lake Park and Round Lake Beach police officers executed simultaneous search warrants.
Officers located around 609 pounds (276,000 grams) of marijuana, which has a street value of around $3 million dollars. Authorities also found an AR-15 rifle with advanced sighting and a loaded 30 round magazine, 3 boxes of 20 count ammunition, and $6,861 in cash.
Maria T. Villa-Mauleon, 30, of the 400 block of Meadow Green in Round Lake Beach, was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession with an intent to deliver, unlawful use of a weapon, no Firearm Owner’s Identification card, unlawful possession of ammunition, and child endangerment, police said.
Villa-Mauleon is being held at Lake County Jail on a $1 million dollar bond. Police said that they’re linking this to a cartel operation in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko said that this is still an ongoing investigation. Federal authorities are also involved now, Chief Filenko said.