Man Charged in Alleged Bid to Sell Drugs to U.S. Agents

GARDEN GROVE — Federal drug trafficking charges were filed on Tuesday against a Korean citizen for allegedly trying to sell crystal methamphetamine, known as “ice,” to undercover agents at a Garden Grove hotel, FBI officials said.

Jong Beom Kim, 37, was arrested on Monday as he allegedly tried to sell 4 1/2 pounds of the drug, worth an estimated $1.2 million on the streets, to two agents for $130,000, said FBI special agent Charles J. Parsons.

Kim, who was staying in Garden Grove, reportedly displayed the drug to one of the agents in the lobby of the hotel and then hid it in his room while he negotiated with them.

He was arrested without incident, and agents recovered the drugs and about $6,000 from his room, Parsons said.

The arrest was the result of an ongoing investigation by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force in Los Angeles, which consists of 14 law enforcement agencies and the FBI. The investigation is targeting Korean ice traffickers on the West Coast and in Hawaii, authorities said.

The Los Angeles and Honolulu FBI offices are participating in the investigation. These two cities have been identified as points where crystal methamphetamine is shipped throughout the United States.

If convicted, Kim could be sentenced to 10 years to life in prison and fined up to $4 million, Parsons said.