Feds: Pecan farm fronted drug ring

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Four members of a pecan-growing family are among those charged with operating a ring peddling cocaine and heroin from their southern New Mexico orchard, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

An indictment unsealed Thursday accuses Oscar Portillo Sr., 53, and his wife, Sandra Portillo, 51, of storing and selling the drugs at their farm near Anthony. Their sons, Oscar Jr., 29, and Matthew, 25, are alleged to have sold drugs to undercover agents.

The indictment also alleges money laundering as drug payments were disguised as legitimate payments to the pecan farm, federal prosecutors said in a statement released Friday.

Five other people were charged in the case including a codes-enforcement officer in the police department at Horizon City, Texas, east of El Paso.

On Thursday the five-month investigation culminated with federal, state and local officers raiding the farm and three homes in El Paso seizing about 1.6 pounds of cocaine, an unspecified amount of marijuana, five firearms, nine vehicles and a tractor.

None of the defendants has yet entered pleas to the charges.