Jaime Alvarado 

At approximately 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 25, Warsaw Police Officers conducted a traffic stop on SR15, on the south edge of Warsaw, following a narcotics investigation that began a week earlier.

According to a police report released moments ago, officers arrested 39-year-old Jaime Alvarado, of San Diego, Calif., formerly from the Milford, Ind., area on four class A felony charges of dealing/delivering/manufacturing methamphetamine and dealing in a narcotic drug. He was also charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit a felony (dealing) and possession of a narcotic drug.

In the investigation, undercover narcotics officers made a controlled purchase of heroin from a residence in Syracuse. At the residence, police located black tar heroin, crystal meth, methadone and items associated with the sale and distribution of narcotics. Police located Dana Likens, 26 years old, of Auburn, Ind., inside the residence with multiple bags of heroin and meth. Likens provided information that he was purchasing heroin and meth from Alvarado through the mail. A mail purchase was arranged and retrieved by police.

Dana Likens

On Wednesday, police then received information that Alvarado had returned to Indiana and was being transported from Indianapolis to Warsaw when police performed the traffic stop. Alvarado was found to have a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest out of Elkhart County and was detained.

Police conducted a canine outer air search of the vehicle and the canine alerted to the presence of illegal drugs. A search of the vehicle found digital scales, a glass smoking pipe, white burnt residue and marijuana paraphernalia.

Alvarado was transported to the Kosciusko County Jail and during a search, found a mesh pouch attached to Alvarado’s underwear that contained bags of black tar heroin and crystal meth. Alvarado told officers that he would not incriminate anyone else and was not cooperative other than to say he was bringing heroin into the United States from Tijuana, Mexico by placing the heroin inside his rectum.

Jaime Alvarado is being held at the Kosciusko County Jail on $250,000 bond for the local drug charges and held no bond for the warrant. Dana Likens was also arrested and charged with class A felony dealing methamphetamine, dealing in a narcotic drug, and possession of a narcotic drug. He is being held on $100,000 bond. More arrests will be forthcoming.

The street value of the heroin and methamphetamine is valued at approximately $15,000. Warsaw Police narcotics officers were assisted in their investigation by the Kosciusko County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Indiana State Police, United States Postal Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.