Lubbock Man Charged After Agents Seize 18 Kilograms of Suspected Cocaine, $56,000
LUBBOCK, Texas – A 36-year-old Lubbock man is facing a federal drug charge after investigators seized approximately 18 kilograms of suspected cocaine from a storage unit and found about $56,000 in cash hidden inside an appliance at his home, federal prosecutors said.
Paul Rene Rocha Jr. was arrested Sept. 8 and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to the complaint, narcotics investigators identified Rocha during an investigation into suspected drug trafficking in the Lubbock area and began monitoring a storage unit he allegedly visited frequently.
On Sept. 8, agents watched Rocha enter and leave the storage unit before meeting with another person in what investigators believed was a drug transaction, according to the complaint.
Agents subsequently stopped the other person and recovered several ounces of suspected cocaine, prosecutors said.
Investigators then obtained a search warrant for the storage unit. Inside, agents reported finding a firearm and approximately 18 kilograms, or nearly 40 pounds, of suspected cocaine.
Authorities also obtained a warrant to search Rocha’s Lubbock residence, where investigators found another firearm and approximately $56,000 in cash hidden inside an appliance, according to the complaint.
Rocha remained in federal custody pending an initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge.
The investigation involved the Caprock Division of the Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and Texas Anti-Gang initiatives, along with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lubbock Police Department, Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Department of Public Safety.
