Santa Claus Doll Part Of Drug Bust

Four men are charged with drug dealing after a Santa Claus doll stuffed with heroin and cocaine arrived at their Boise apartment, police say.

Officers seized about a quarter-pound each of heroin and cocaine on Friday, said Boise Police Lt. Steve Pyle.

A quarter-pound of heroin is worth about $20,000 and of cocaine, about $10,000.

“It’s significant in terms of the amount of drugs. We usually don’t see that large a quantity at any one time,” Pyle said.

U.S. Postal Service employees became suspicious of the package and opened it Friday, finding the drugs hidden inside a stuffed doll.

A postal official delivered the package, then police served a search warrant.

Officers also found $4,000 in cash in the apartment, as well as balloons, which they said could be used to package the heroin for sale.

Guillermo Aguillon Martinez, 29; Hugo Alberto Valdez-Cienfuegos, 30; Salvador Lara Loretto, 31; and Luis Banderas Lara, 21, were in the Ada County Jail on Monday night, each under $500,000 bond and charged with two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance.

Pyle said the men, Mexican citizens, came to Boise at least two weeks ago. The package was mailed from Southern California.