Five pounds of crystal meth confiscated, two arrested in Waukegan

Two men are in custody after Waukegan Police busted them with 5 pounds of crystal meth, officials said.

Rene Gomez-Cazares, 23, of the 700 block of Commonwealth, and Jose D. Hernandez-Hernandez, 28, of the 2900 block of Spaulding, have been charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver on Nov. 1, Cmdr. Gabe Guzman said in a news release.

Gomez-Cazares is held in Lake County jail on a $200,000 bond, while Hernandez-Hernandez remains in the Lake County jail on a $150,000 bond.

Guzman said Waukegan Gang Intelligence Unit officers and agents from the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration received a tip that a large amount of crystal meth was being delivered to the Lake County area.

Officers staked out the location and busted a vehicle in the 2400 block of Grand Avenue.

Inside the vehicle, officers found 5 pounds of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $227,000.

Both men are due back in court on Nov. 29.

“Crystal meth has been around for years. Fortunately, there hasn’t been a large demand for this poison in the Chicagoland urban markets,” Waukegan Police Chief Daniel Greathouse said. “Reliable intelligence reports indicate that a particular Mexican drug cartel has been attempting to establish a market in Waukegan for the last eight months.”