$56 Million in Cocaine Found in Norwalk Van

Federal agents Friday confiscated about 1,350 pounds of cocaine valued at an estimated $56 million after being tipped off that a van parked on a Norwalk street was loaded with the drug.

The 614 kilo-sized packages were found in a van parked near Rosecrans Avenue and Pioneer Boulevard. Drug Enforcement Administration agents also found a .25-caliber automatic pistol in the van, said DEA Supervisor Eddie Hill.

The van was found early Friday morning and watched by federal agents and police from five suburban departments until about 11:30 a.m., when agents carrying a search warrant began looking through the vehicle, Hill said.

Phone Numbers

Police and agents searching the area also found a list of phone numbers that apparently had been tossed under a nearby house, Hill said.

He declined, however, to say if agents believed the phone list may have included the numbers of potential customers.

Authorities have also determined who owns the van, but they have not been able to reach him even though he lives near where the drugs were found, he said.

Hill added that it is not uncommon for agents to receive anonymous tips concerning drugs, adding, “We’re starting to get quite a few in the Los Angeles area.”