344 Pounds of Meth Seized in Liberty County Drug Bust, Three Previously Deported Illegals Arrested

A joint narcotics investigation in Liberty County led to the arrest of three men and the seizure of 344 pounds of methamphetamine on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit, working alongside the Houston Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Texas Department of Public Safety, conducted the investigation in the Plum Grove area. The Liberty County Interdiction Unit initiated a traffic stop on a white panel van, identifying the driver as Gerson Lopez Zuniga and the passengers as Cruz Isidro Sandoval and Adan Aguirre Arzate, all residents of Liberty County.

Zuniga, found to be an illegal immigrant, was carrying a semi-automatic handgun in his waistband. During the stop, Sandoval admitted to possessing a large quantity of methamphetamine at a camper trailer located in the 1600 block of Road 3542. Investigators obtained permission to search the trailer and discovered twelve “Iceberg Lettuce” boxes containing approximately 156 kilograms (344 pounds) of methamphetamine.

A records check revealed that all three men were illegal immigrants who had been deported at least four times. Sandoval was charged with Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance over 400 grams, a first-degree felony. Zuniga and Aguirre were booked into the Liberty County Jail on ICE holds.