Summit authorities arrest couple for using children to negotiate drug deals

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By ASHLEY DICKSON
summit daily news
Summit County, CO Colorado
April 22, 2008

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SILVERTHORNE — Area authorities arrested arrested a Silverthorne couple for possession of cocaine, conspiracy to distribute cocaine and child abuse after an undercover investigation found they were using their children to help negotiate drug deals.

The Summit County Drug Task Force, along with the Sheriff’s Office, Frisco and Silverthorne police departments and the Summit County Swat Team arrested Carlos Rivera-Lopez and his wife, Maria Teresa Rivera-Lopez, who are now under an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement hold because they are both allegedly undocumented aliens.

Prior to the arrest, the Drug Task Force allegedly performed three undercover drug buys from Carlos Rivera-Lopez, netting more than 20 grams of cocaine while Rivera-Lopez’s wife and two young children were in the car.

Carlos Rivera-Lopez also allegedly used his 14-year-old son to facilitate his phone conversations between the undercover officer and himself. Both children have been place in the care of Summit County Social Services at this time.

A search warrant was issued for the Rivera-Lopez residence in Silverthorne where the Sheriff’s Office K9 Dog Tommy detected narcotics in several different areas of the house, including near children’s toys.

A search of the children’s bedrooms allegedly found posters of marijuana strands, as well as figurines with marijuana leaves on them.

The search also found multiple documents with different identities, money, 43.2 grams of marijuana, 20 marijuana cigarette butts, and 85.3 grams of cocaine.