By Jon Johnson
CLIFTON — A targeted, weeks-long investigation by the Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office has culminated in a significant narcotics bust on Chase Creek, taking down a local dealer and removing a substantial cache of cocaine and methamphetamine from the streets.
The bust, which spanned late Tuesday, June 30, into the early morning hours of July 1, resulted in the arrests of three individuals. Inside the home, deputies uncovered a localized distribution hub, seizing 178 grams of cocaine (approximately 6.3 ounces), 38 grams of methamphetamine (roughly an ounce and a quarter), a firearm, and about $3,000 in cash.
Neighborhood Complaints Spark Surveillance
The investigation was launched after observant Clifton citizens contacted the Sheriff’s Office to report an unusually high volume of foot and vehicle traffic arriving at a specific residence on Chase Creek. Neighbors noted that visitors were making quick, short-lived stops—a classic hallmark of quick-turnaround illegal drug sales.
“I just took it upon myself to start looking into it,” said Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Gabe Guerrero, a veteran narcotics investigator. “That’s a good indicator that there’s something going on.”
For more than three weeks, Lt. Guerrero and sheriff’s deputies conducted strategic surveillance on the home and gathered intelligence. To identify the buyers without tipping off the dealer, deputies began executing routine traffic stops on vehicles leaving the area whenever they observed an independent traffic infraction or equipment violation.
Tuesday Night Hand-to-Hand Deal Triggers Arrests
The operation reached a boiling point on Tuesday night, June 30, when surveillance units witnessed an apparent hand-to-hand drug transaction between the resident of the home and the occupants of an arriving vehicle.
Deputies trailed the vehicle, initiated a traffic stop for a lane usage infraction, and obtained consent to search the vehicle. K-9 Mayhem was deployed to the scene and immediately alerted to the presence of illegal substances. Inside the vehicle, deputies found packaged, crystal-like rocks consistent with methamphetamine. A search of the passenger revealed additional methamphetamine hidden on her person.
The two female occupants, identified as Sarah Lynn Mitchell, 47, and Gina Emily Lozano, 50, were arrested on the spot. During questioning, they verified to deputies that they had just purchased the narcotics directly from the Chase Creek residence.
Waking the Judge: Exigent Search Warrant Executed
Recognizing that drug evidence is highly perishable and that the dealer could easily be tipped off by phone regarding the traffic stop, Lt. Guerrero moved rapidly to secure the perimeter.
“We went back, and we seized the residence and got everybody out because the items… could be destroyed or transported out of there easily,” Lt. Guerrero explained.
While deputies held the scene, a search warrant was drafted and presented to a local judge. “Yep, we woke the judge up,” Guerrero noted.
Once the warrant was signed just after midnight on July 1, investigators breached the home and discovered a large quantity of illicit narcotics concentrated in a single room. In addition to the raw powder cocaine and meth, deputies found baking soda, water, and measuring equipment. Investigators revealed that the resident, Anthony J. Kogel, 59, was actively converting the powder cocaine into crack cocaine.
According to Lt. Guerrero, Kogel admitted during an interview that he had struggled with a severe, decades-long cocaine addiction and was selling the drugs to finance his own heavy habit.
Industry Trends and Charges
Lt. Guerrero noted that while methamphetamine dominates the local drug trade, cocaine continues to have a quiet, dangerous presence regionally because its effects are more short-lived.
“There’s a lot more out there than you think because it’s short-lived,” Guerrero said. “These guys, they don’t want to be wired on methamphetamines when they go on their days off… so they’ll just get that little boost from the cocaine.” However, because a crack cocaine high can fade in as little as 30 minutes, users require frequent doses, feeding an aggressive addiction cycle.
- Anthony Kogel was arrested for multiple felony allegations, including possession of narcotic drugs for sale, possession of dangerous drugs for sale, manufacturing a dangerous drug, maintaining a structure for the purpose of manufacturing/selling illegal drugs, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
- Sarah Mitchell and Gina Lozano were arrested for possession of dangerous drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, and misconduct involving weapons due to a firearm discovered inside their vehicle during the initial traffic stop. They were both booked into the Greenlee County Jail.
The case is currently pending formal laboratory testing from the Arizona Department of Public Safety Criminal Laboratory.
A Message From the Sheriff
Greenlee County Sheriff Eric Ellison praised the collaborative efforts of his deputies and the local community, emphasizing that citizen tips remain the ultimate weapon against local drug distribution.
“The Greenlee County Sheriff’s Office remains diligent in apprehending drugs in our communities,” Sheriff Ellison told the Gila Herald. “We encourage our public to report suspicious behavior and things just out of the norm… This case is a good example of how a simple report of suspicious behavior can lead to a major arrest. Too long have we let these types of things go unchecked. I’m asking for the communities to step up and walk side-by-side with the Sheriff’s Office and stop the crime in our county. Together we can make Greenlee County the safest county in the state.”
