DaytonDailyNews.com

HAMILTON — Four people, including an area rap promoter, are under arrest after nearly a million dollars worth of cocaine was seized as part of a drug bust involving local and federal officials.

Alex Garnett, 30, of Cincinnati, owner of Garnett Enterprise; Alfonso Ford, 29, of Cincinnati; Oscar Munoz, 47,

of Tucson, Ariz.; and Frank Munoz,

64, also of Tucson, were arrested

early Thursday morning at a Fairfield

residence as part of the largest drug bust by the Butler County Sheriff's Office, according to Sheriff Richard K. Jones.

A joint investigation involving the Drug Enforcement Agency, Texas Department of Public Safety, West Chester Police Department and the sheriff's office culminated at a residence in the 4000 block of Whitmore Lane, where nine kilograms of cocaine were found in a 1991 Lexus with Arizona license plates.

"This is close to a million dollars in cocaine," Jones said Friday, holding up long plastic-wrapped logs of cocaine that had been concealed in the frame of the Lexus. He noted that the dealers had drawn smiley faces on the stash.

"They're not real happy right now," the sheriff said.

Also seized was a 2004 Nissan Pathfinder that Garnett and Ford drove to the Fairfield residence and several pieces of jewelry, purported to be gold and diamonds, from Garnett. Investigators said Garnett claimed a watch encrusted with diamonds was valued at $20,000.

Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer said Garnett is "at the top of the food chain in Southwest Ohio."

Jones said the cocaine is believed to have come into the country from Mexico and was being transported to the Butler County area via Arizona.

To drug dealers, Jones said, "if you come here, chances of getting caught are very, very good."

He noted this bust is one of several large ones that have taken place in the past few months in Butler County.

Garnett, Ford and the Munozs, who are brothers, are all charged locally with possession of cocaine and trafficking in cocaine, but will likely be prosecuted on federal charges that carry hefty penalties and prison sentences.

Friday afternoon, all four men were housed in the Butler County jail without bond.