19 pounds of meth seized in Manitowoc-Sheboygan drug operation

Drug officers have recovered about 19 pounds of meth in a large-scale drug trafficking investigation in Manitowoc and Sheboygan Counties.

Investigators say two people have been charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Meth.

The investigation started in April. The Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration teamed up to target a meth ring in Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties. Investigators made controlled purchases of meth. Two pounds of meth were confiscated during the operation.

Officers identified homes in Sheboygan where large amounts of meth were stored.

In early May, officers executed search warrants on S. 16th Street and the 1300 block of Virginia Avenue in Sheboygan. Officers found 17 pounds of meth at those homes.

A 25-year-old Sheboygan man was arrested.

The investigation revealed that the source of the meth was living in Nebraska. On May 14, police conducted surveillance on the Nebraska suspect, who was in Sheboygan. An arrangement was made to meet the distributor in Manitowoc. The Wisconsin State Patrol and Manitowoc County Sheriff's deputies stopped the man on I-43 in Manitowoc County.

Investigators say the drug-trafficking operation was responsible for 36 pounds of meth distributed in Sheboygan and Manitowoc Counties.

The street value of the drugs is estimated at $1.3 million.