WILLMAR -- Elio Naranjo Infante, 42, and Norma Infante, 47, both of Pennock, made their first court appearances Wednesday on first-degree drug sale charges for possessing 53 grams of cocaine.
The drugs were found Tuesday during a search of the couple's Pennock home.
Unconditional bail was set at $500,000 for both. No conditional bail was set for Elio Infante. Conditional bail was allowed for $100,000 for Norma Infante. Both are scheduled to make their next appearance Aug. 16 in Kandiyohi County District Court.
According to the complaints against the couple, CEE-VI Drug Task Force agents and other law enforcement officers served a search warrant around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Infantes' home on First Street North in Pennock.
During the search, 53 grams of cocaine was discovered in a multi-vitamin container in a bathroom cabinet.
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Officers also located drug paraphernalia, marijuana, an EBT welfare benefit card, four surveillance cameras, each strategically placed around the home, and an "owe sheet."
The surveillance system had two different monitoring locations in the living room and hallway of the residence. A police scanner and two-way radios were also found in the home.
Both were arrested and interviewed.
Elio Infante allegedly claimed the cocaine belonged to someone else and the security cameras were for his wife's safety. He admitted to having a prior conviction for possessing a kilo of cocaine and to serving prison time on that conviction.
He also allegedly admitted to owning the marijuana found during the search.
Norma Infante said she knew nothing about the cocaine and also claimed the cameras were for safety. She did admit to using cocaine in the past.
Elio Infante has prior first-degree controlled substance convictions from 2001 and 2002 in Becker and Redwood counties.
Elio Infante is also under a hold by the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for illegal entry into the country in August 2007.
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Norma Infante has a prior second-degree controlled substance conviction in Kandiyohi County from March 2006.
