Police seize more than 200 pounds of meth; 4 arrested

FLORENCE, Ala. —

The Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office announced the arrests of four men after more than 200 pounds of liquid methamphetamine was discovered in Florence.

The drugs were seized by the Lauderdale County Drug Task Force, Florence police and state and federal agencies.

The sheriff's office said the task force was investigating drug activity on July 26 at a home on Eastwood Drive when they saw several men leaving the house. Officers questioned some of the men but let them go because they didn't find that they had any drugs.

They said they stopped another man who tried to eat some marijuana. They arrested Jasmond Dewand Foser, 35, of Florence, who is charged with trafficking methamphetamine, conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and tampering with evidence.

Agents got a search warrant for the house, but they found no one inside. However, they say they discovered an active methamphetamine conversion lab.

They also found various containers that were in various stages of the cooking process and about 19 pounds of finished product.

Three of the suspects had left the area, but police in Arkansas located and arrested them. Jose Salamon, 36, Edgar Cmacho Reyes, 36, and Victor Manuel Alcocer Gonzalez, 36, are waiting for extradition to Alabama, where they will be charged with trafficking methamphetamine and conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine.

Officers say the total amount of methamphetamine liquid came to 25 gallons, weighing more than 200 pounds.

Experts estimate that about 9-13 pounds of methamphetamine ice can be extracted from a gallon of methamphetamine liquid. The amount of meth discovered in this instance could have been converted to as much as 225-325 pounds of methamphetamine ice.

Officials say the street value of this seizure would have been $2-3 million.