Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely announced Friday that a three-year narcotics investigation led to the arrest of eight people, including three members of a Tanner family, who he said were importing an average of 2,500 pounds of Mexican marijuana into North Alabama each month.

Tanner residents Will Bryant Hines, 39; Keith Tyrone Hines, 40; and Demetrius Lyndell Hines, 36; are all charged with conspiracy to traffic marijuana. All were being held in the Madison County Jail Friday.

Blakely said the Hines’ are co-owners of Pine Ridge Trucking on Lindsay Road in Tanner and are believed to be the “major players” in the drug operation.

Five others were arrested last week. Arrested after officers served search warrants were Don Anthony Smiley, 44, who was arrested on Lindsay Road and charged with first-degree illegal possession of marijuana; Bailey Morrell Hines, 19; Aurick Tauan Parham, 22; Nikko Jerel Horton, 18; and Vivian Louise Leslie, 43. All were charged with first-degree illegal possession of marijuana and were taken into custody during a raid on a home on Huntsville-Brownsferry Road.

Blakely said Parham and Leslie are also charged with possession of controlled substance following the seizure of Ecstasy tablets. All are being held in the Limestone County Jail.

Blakely said this an ongoing investigation and he expects more arrests and asset forfeitures to follow.

Blakely said the arrests followed the seizure of a tractor-trailer truck laden with approximately 1,800 pounds of high-grade marijuana concealed in hidden compartments. He said authorities also seized $618,000 in U.S. currency.

“We received numerous complaints from citizens regarding this operation and launched an investigation locally,” Blakely said Friday in a press release. “We developed leads and intelligence into an operation that branched into several states across the Southeast and requested the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Attorney approximately a year ago.

“The distribution into other states and surrounding counties was as elaborate as their efforts to hide their proceeds through laundering techniques by acquiring real property, assets, and expensive automobile transactions. They often ensured their success by tactics of intimidation including threats, assaults, and even included fire-bombing automobiles,” the sheriff said.

“One of the areas of interest we developed was a closed auto shop on Benson Circle in Huntsville, that had been purchased by the Hines brothers. This location was under surveillance for some time, and when members of the DEA and my investigators observed an increase in activity, the business was searched,” he said. “They located the tractor-trailer at the business and discovered the hidden compartments, revealing 1,800 pounds of marijuana.”

Blakely said the residence of Will Bryant Hines was one of the target areas searched by lawmen. He said authorities recovered more than $550,000 in cash, vacuum-sealed in plastic wrapping hidden inside the residence along with a handgun and other paraphernalia.

“We are thankful that one of the major drug suppliers in the Southeast is closed for business,” the sheriff said. “We sincerely appreciate the assistance of the U.S. Attorney, and the DEA for the resources they utilized in this investigation. We would also like to thank the Morgan County Sheriff’s office, Decatur Police Department, Athens Police Department, and Madison County Sheriff’s office for their assistance during this investigation.”