Illegal prescription drugs seized at two grocery stores

Jace Radke

Friday, Feb. 11, 2005 | 8:56 a.m.

Authorities raided two Hispanic grocery stores and two residences Thursday and recovered a large amount of illegal prescription drugs allegedly being sold to anyone who asked for them, the FBI said.

Arrested was Joel Montano, 26, of Las Vegas, on charges contained in sealed federal warrants, FBI officials said.

Because the warrants remain sealed, the charges Montano faces were not released, but law enforcement sources said he will face drug trafficking charges. Montano was scheduled to be arraigned before a federal magistrate this afternoon.

Authorities searched two grocery stores, La Paz, at 2162 N. Lamb Blvd., and El Arcoirris, at 3416 E. Lake Mead Blvd., said Special Agent David Schrom, an FBI spokesman.

An undisclosed amount of prescription drugs were recovered. The ongoing investigation is being pursued by a drug task force made up of several local and federal law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Metro Police, North Las Vegas Police, Henderson Police and the Nevada Highway Patrol.

The raids come four months after a similar raid in September at the San Pedro Store, 1038 N. Rancho Drive. Authorities seized thousands of prescription narcotic pills, including Xanax and Lortab.

A makeshift doctor's office was also discovered in the back of the store serving as a revolving door for Hispanics practicing medicine, with or without a license, seeing patients and handing out drugs smuggled into the country from Mexico and El Salvador.

Backdoor doctors offices result in people buying the wrong drugs for their illness and drugs that have expired, law enforcement officials said.