Rivco Man Arrested In Massive Meth Bust: U.S. Attorney

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A Perris man was arrested Tuesday by federal authorities for allegedly conspiring to ship methamphetamine to Hawaii, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

According to the Department of Justice, the group made at least three shipments of drugs to Hawaii, disguising the drugs as decorative Aztec calendars and statues. All of the shipments were intercepted, the DOJ said.

The nine defendants named in the indictment are:

• Felix Salgado, 28, of Perris, who allegedly obtained wholesale quantities of methamphetamine on behalf of the conspiracy;
• Vaimanino Lee Pomele, 49, of Garden Grove, who allegedly orchestrated the drug shipments to Hawaii;
• German Bastidas Nunez, also known as “Cheque,” 46, of Moreno Valley, who allegedly supplied narcotics to Salgado and who was already in custody;
• Fernando Caballero Rascon, 42, of Garden Grove, who allegedly purchased methamphetamine from Pomele;
• James Arnold Borbon, also known as “Dino,” 58, of Garden Grove, an alleged customer of the drug ring;
• Moises Rey Avina, 39, of Santa Ana, who allegedly purchased methamphetamine from Pomele;
• Gary Wayne Minter, 55, of Victorville, who allegedly used his residence as a stash house;
• Alejandra Pomele, who is Vaimanino’s wife; 44, also of Garden Grove, who allegedly delivered narcotics to a customer on at least one occasion; and
• Stephen Dgewell Martin, 30, of Anaheim, who allegedly dropped off the shipment containing the methamphetamine disguised as Aztec calendars and statues at the post office.

The eight defendants were taken into custody Tuesday morning are expected to be arraigned on the indictment this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana. A ninth was already in custody, they said.

If convicted, each defendant could face a mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years in federal prison, and each could face decades in prison, Thom Mrozek of the Department of Justice said.

Patch Editor Renee Schiavone Photo