When police raided a Pearland home in June, they expected to find a massive indoor marijuana growing operation but it had already been cleaned out.
But persistence paid off for Houston DEA agents and they've now filed felony drug charges in the case.
When 41-year-old Victor Vu was arrested that day on felony charges of possessing marijuana, DEA agents and local police officers waited for a judge to sign off on a search warrant.
When the raid team barged into the home, they found the entire second floor of the home at 3019 Becket Street in Pearland had been rigged into a massive pot-growing operation.
Agents found growing lights, ballasts, shrouds that are placed over live marijuana plants, and lots of pots.
But no plants!
A few dried marijuana leaves were found in the upstairs, but all the marijuana plants were gone.
Vu was already booked into the Brazoria County Jail on felony drug charges, but instead of giving up, DEA agents decided to set up undercover surveillance on him after he posted bail to be released from jail.
In the Houston area, DEA is known to use high-flying helicopters and airplanes for some of their surveillance. The aircraft are sometimes seen circling high above the altitude that aircraft are usually flying, so they don't attract attention and they can barely be heard from the ground.
According to court records in other cases, Houston DEA agents also apply for wiretaps as a matter of routine and they also apply for "Precise Location" data from cell phone providers. With court orders, they can map out exactly where someone is as they're carrying their cell phone. This court order also allows agents to quickly triangulate where suspects are in real time.
A federal agent assigned to an unrelated case last week said the triangulation of cell phones is a common tool that no one wants to talk about in federal law enforcement. It's easy and it's reliable.
Agents spent the next two months after Vu posted bail, tracking his movements and Vu was shocked when agents kicked in the door of a home on Houston's far northside, where he's accused of setting up yet another growing operation after posting bail from his first close-call.
How did you find this house?
His quote is included in the arrest warrant filed by DEA agents as they lodged federal charges against him. He faced a judge on the charge in Houston Federal Court today.
This time, when agents searched Vu's home on Parkville Drive, which is located near FM 1960 and Steubner-Airline, they found what eluded them in their first raid. According to the arrest warrant, agents confiscated:
- 177 live marijuana plants
- Chemicals needed to grow marijuana
- Growing lights
- Light Ballasts
- Shrouds used to cover live pot plants
- Nutritional chemicals known to be used by successful marijuana growers
- Blowers
- Filters
- Pots and potting soil
When agents raided the home this time, a friend was working in the front yard.
Agents asked that friend if Victor Vu was inside and he said yes. Agents then asked him to enter the front door and call out to him, but no one answered.
The raid team began shouting "Police" and "Search warrant" but still no one turned up.
Vu was found hiding in the attic, where he was arrested, according to the search warrant on file in this week's case.
Inside the home, a wall calendar was hanging in the living room with the word "Court" written under the dates August 4th and September 21st. Those dates show up in the court docket for Vu's felony case that was originally lodged against him from the Pearland arrest.
Agents read him his rights, but he decided not to remain silent, according to court papers. He told agents he couldn't find a job because of his prior felony convictions, so he
Was only trying to make a living
He repeated those words several times, according to court records.
When asked about his friend handling the front yard work, Vu said that friend was not involved in the marijuana growing operation so no charges were filed against the friend.
He had posted a $15,000 bond to be released from jail on the Pearland marijuana charges, but now he's being held in the Federal Detention Center Houston.
The earlier charges could have meant a maximum of 2-years in state jail, but now he's charged with federal drug trafficking that could yield at least 5-years in federal prison with no parole possible.
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