Federal law enforcement agents along with local police fanned out across the Denver metro area Thursday morning arresting nine defendants in a multi-million drug trafficking operation that brought large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine into the country from Mexico.

Authorities raided multiple locations in the Denver metro area, according to reports filed by the office of acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer.

Nine people were arrested Thursday and one was already in custody. The seven other suspects are considered fugitives, according to a news release issued by Troyer’s spokesman Jeff Dorschner.

The arrests were the result of a one-year investigation into a Mexican-led drug trafficking organization that brought drugs into the country through California to Colorado and operated out of the El Rancho Market in Aurora, the news release said.

A federal grand jury in Denver earlier returned an indictment charging 17 defendants for illegal drug trafficking conduct. The indictment contains a total of 45 counts, including an asset forfeiture allegation.

“The stupidest thing a drug trafficker can do is bring his dope business to Colorado,” Troyer said in a prepared statement. “We have the most sophisticated investigators, prosecutors, and partnerships you will find anywhere, and we don’t tolerate the poisoning of our people.”

According to court records, the raid targeted a methamphetamine and cocaine drug operation headed by Jose Tapia-Rubio, 58, who made $3 million in deposits between 2013 and 2016, according to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. A named accomplice, Rodrigo Mora-Sanchez, 49, also made 33 cash deposits, totaling $610,240 into several financial institutions for the period 2013 to 2016.

Besides Tapia-Rubio and Mora-Sanchez, federal agents identified 15 other suspects. The following were arrested Thursday in Aurora: Tapia-Rubio and Mora-Sanchez; Selestino Hernandez-Mayo, 45; and Heberto Mora-Sanchez, 43. The following were arrested Thursday in California: Lara Zamora-Cruz, 63; Claudia Lisseth-Lara, 41, and Vilma L. Zamora, 67. Oscar Mora-Campos, age unknown, was arrested Thursday in Aspen while Eduardo Jimenez-Sanchez, 37, was arrested in Breckenridge. Jose Chica-Orellana, age unknown, was previously arrested.

Police are seeking: Juan Carlos Medina-Soberanis, 31; Erik Parra, age unknown; Fredy Paz-Herrera, age unknown; Leopoldo Rodriguez-Padilla, age unknown and three unnamed suspects.

Based on intercepted calls, the two primary sources of supply for the Tapia-Rubio drug trafficking organization were “Bancholas” and an unidentified source also known as “UM-9584,” according to court records. Both are from Mexico. Federal and local drug agents relied on details from multiple sources.

The drug operation operated out of El Rancho Market, 15401 E. Mississippi Ave., owned by Tapia-Rubio. The confidential informants bought cocaine at $1,000 per ounce and methamphetamine at $500 an ounce at the market or at Tapia-Rubio’s home at on Arizona Avenue, according to court records.

“This criminal organization distributed cocaine and methamphetamine throughout our communities, making themselves rich from the suffering of others,” Special Agent in Charge Barbra Roach of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Denver Field Division said in a prepared statement. “DEA takes great pride in identifying and targeting these predatory organizations and works continually to put them out of business, and to put their leaders in jail.”

Tapia-Rubio allegedly stashed multiple kilograms of drugs at his home buried in his back yard, court records indicate. Informants bought drugs at a second residence, where Tapia-Rubio “bragged about selling $18,000 on a single day.” He referred to the drugs by the code name “fruit.” Drug deals happened in the open.

Authorities monitored drug deals through 2016 and the first part of 2017. On Aug. 28, Tapia-Rubio called Selestino Hernandez-Mayo a.k.a. “Chakichan” and told him how to get to a stash house at 4572 S. Pagosa Circle, in Aurora. At 8:02 p.m., officers filmed Tapia-Rubio arriving at the stash house in a Nissan Frontier.

Federal officials followed drug mules as they traveled on Interstate 70 on Aug. 29. A trooper pulled over a Chevy Tahoe at 7:50 a.m. for speeding. Officers discovered four rectangular packages in a void in the third row seat storage compartment. They also discovered $114,000 in currency.

Authorities recorded at least 11 controlled drug deals. On Nov. 12, officers pulled over a Ford Explorer and found $135,000 in a hidden compartment within the vehicle.

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network records revealed that from 2013 to 2016 Jose Tapia-Rubio made 140 cash deposits, totaling $3,018,120.00, into various financial institutions. Likewise, Rodrigo Mora-Sanchez made 33 cash deposits, totaling $610,240.00, into several financial institutions for the period 2013 to 2016.

This case was investigated by the Denver Strike Force, which includes the DEA, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation, the FBI, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Marshal Service, West Metro Drug Task Force, Northern Colorado Drug Task Force, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Colorado State Patrol and the Denver Police Department.

“This operation was successful due to our positive and established working relationships with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners,” said Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz in a prepared statement. “This collaborative effort will help Aurora become even safer.”