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Drug Bust in Ocean County
According the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, Prosecutor Billhimer announced that Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Narcotics Strike Force collaborated with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration - High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas-Monmouth/Ocean Post of Duty (HIDTA/MOPOD) Group 5, Lakewood Township Police Department, Lakewood Township Police Department Street Crimes Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department Special Response Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department K-9 Unit, Toms River Township Police Department, and Toms River Township Police Department Special Enforcement Unit, to conduct an investigation into the distribution of cocaine in the Ocean County area. This cooperative, multi-agency investigation identified three residences – two in Lakewood and one in Toms River - as being utilized by Ivan Contreras-Cruz, 41, of Toms River, Alberto Vasquez-Ventura, 27, of Lakewood, and Natalia Mihok, 49, of Toms River, to store and distribute illegal narcotics.
Detectives from the aforementioned law enforcement organizations set up stationary and mobile surveillance on the Toms River property as well as the two Lakewood residences on September 22, 2022. As they left one of the Lakewood homes in different vehicles, Contreras-Cruz and Vasquez-Ventura were being watched by the police. Following separate motor vehicle stops by the Lakewood Township Police Department, Contreras-Cruz and Vasquez-Ventura were both taken into custody and put under arrest without further incident.
Detectives subsequently executed court-authorized search warrants on the Toms River residence and both Lakewood residences. In furtherance of the investigation and execution of the search warrants, law enforcement seized approximately 100 grams of Cocaine and nearly $18,000 in United States Currency. Mihok was taken into custody at the Toms River residence.
Contreras-Cruz was charged with distribution of more than a half-ounce of cocaine; possession of more than a half-ounce of cocaine with intent to distribute; conspiracy to distribute more than a half-ounce of cocaine; possession of cocaine; possession of drug paraphernalia and financial facilitation of criminal activity, Billhimer said. He was taken to the Ocean County Jail and later released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform, the prosecutor said.
According to Billhimer, Vasquez-Ventura was charged with possession of cocaine, conspiracy to commit financial facilitation of criminal activity, distribution of less than a half-ounce of cocaine, distribution of less than a half-ounce of cocaine, possession of less than a half-ounce of cocaine with intent to distribute, and two counts of each. Prior to his trial, he is being detained at the Ocean County Jail.
According to Billhimer, Mihok was accused of possessing more than half an ounce of cocaine with the purpose to distribute it, conspiring to distribute more than half an ounce of cocaine, possessing cocaine, possessing drug paraphernalia, and aiding and abetting criminal behavior financially. Because of New Jersey's bail reform, Mihok was transported to the Ocean County Jail and later freed, he claimed.
Police in Lakewood and Toms River worked with the Narcotics Strike Force of the prosecutor's office and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas team of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on the investigation, according to Billhimer.
The Ocean County Sheriff's Office, Lakewood, Toms River, and Jackson police departments worked together with the prosecutor's office's Narcotics Strike Force and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas team assigned to Monmouth and Ocean counties on the investigation, according to Billhimer.
