More than five pounds seized

Authorities from six agencies arrested a Nash County couple this week and seized more than 5 pounds of cocaine during the course of a yearlong investigation.

Law enforcement officials from Nash and Beaufort counties, the N.C. Highway Patrol, Kinston police, the State Bureau of Investigation and the N.C. National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, worked for 12 months to arrest Gavino Mendoza, 35, and Martina Hernandez Uribe, 31, both of the 7500 block of Sarah Way in Farmington Hills Mobile Home Park, Nash deputies said Thursday.

According to Nash County Lt. Scott Parker, Mendoza was arrested Tuesday after a traffic stop on N.C. 97.

Parker said officers found a kilo of cocaine in Mendoza's vehicle, in addition to more that $1,500 in cash.

After a warrant was obtained, investigators searched Mendoza's residence and found 1,470 grams of cocaine, $45,000 cash, a marijuana plant, and paraphernalia for packaging illegal narcotics.

Investigators seized more than 5 pounds of cocaine and $110,000 cash during the course of the investigation.

Mendoza is charged with six counts of trafficking cocaine and two counts of maintaining a vehicle and dwelling place for the purpose of keeping and storing a controlled substance, Parker said.

Mendoza is being held in Nash County Jail on a $2 million bond.

Uribe was arrested Thursday morning on the charges of manufacturing marijuana, possessing drug paraphernalia, possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, maintaining a dwelling place for the purpose of keeping and storing a controlled substance and trafficking cocaine, authorities said.

She is being held in Nash County Jail on a $1 million bond.

Parker said the investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are expected to be made because of the scale of the operation.

"We are not at the top yet," Parker said. "I think they're very big. We want to get the drugs off the street."

For a complete story, see tomorrow's Telegram.