DEA says day care was drug stash house

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Federal agents and valley police raided 7 locations Thursday, one of which was a valley day care that doubled as a drug house.

"When we served the search warrants today we actually went in and found a pound of meth, and there were a couple of little kids in there, the lady that ran the place said she watched the kids all the time," said Special Agent Doug Coleman.

DEA agents swarmed the locations as part of a year long investigation into meth trafficking. Investigators believe the drugs came from Mexico and were distributed across the valley from the locations.

"We noticed when we were watching them in the morning, mom and dad would come drop off the kids, they got their backpack and lunches, they ended show back up to the unlicenced day care facility holding dope," said Coleman.

One of the seven locations was operating as a day care in west-central Phoenix near 55th Avenue and McDowell. Inside the agents found that six children were being cared for.

"It just goes to show the extent people will go to to hide their activities, hide your dope in a house where there are a bunch of little kids so the cops don't think to look there," he said.

Five people were arrested in the raid. Agents seized five pounds of meth, 1/2 a pound of cocaine, and seized several firearms, body armor, and a hand grenade. They also seized $30,000 from the locations.