DEA: Couriers brought 12 kilos of meth to Gulfport

GULFPORT -- Three Tulsa, Okla., residents are accused of acting as couriers to bring 12 kilos of crystal meth to Gulfport, court papers show.

Christian Manuel Garcia, 23; Refugio Garcia De Lira, 27; and Nancy Lizbeth Ramirez, 20; are held for hearings in U.S. District Court.

Crystal meth, or ice, is meth in its purest form.

They were arrested Saturday night after they arrived at an unspecified Gulfport location in two vehicles less than an hour apart, according to a criminal complaint. The complaint was filed by a Mississippi Highway Patrol officer assigned to a Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force.

The DEA learned in February a Mexican meth broker had struck a drug deal with two Tulsa brothers known as Sergio and Primo, the agent said. The deal allegedly involved bringing 24 pounds of meth to Gulfport.

De Lira and Ramirez reportedly showed up about 7 p.m. in a black Chevrolet Monte Carlo with six packages of meth.

Garcia arrived about 7:50 p.m. in a Volkswagen Jetta with a large quantity of meth, the agent said.

The total weight of the meth is said to be 12 kilos, or 26.5 pounds.

They were arrested and brought before a magistrate judge Monday. An interpreter was called in and the three each asked for a preliminary hearing. They are held for preliminary and detention hearings set for next week.

This story was originally published March 1, 2016 at 3:14 PM with the headline "DEA: Couriers brought 12 kilos of meth to Gulfport ."