APD: Authorities arrest Coronado Park drug dealer

Officials say suspect also accused of selling guns to undercover detectives

Authorities arrested a man accused of supplying drugs at Coronado Park and the Ambassador Inn during an undercover operation carried out over the past month.

Thaaer “Mike” Tomasaour, 42, is federally charged with distribution of methamphetamine after allegedly selling an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent more than a pound of the drug on June 15 in a room at the Court John Motel. He was arrested Tuesday.

Tomasaour’s attorney could not be reached for comment.

Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said Tomasaour also sold large quantities of heroin, fentanyl and guns to undercover detectives.

He said Tomasaour often trades drugs for stolen goods brought to him by those who frequent Coronado Park, at Third and Interstate 40, and the Ambassador Inn near Candelaria and Interstate 25.

Federal and local court records do not show any charges for those crimes.

Gallegos said authorities seized 4,500 fentanyl pills, more than 5 pounds of methamphetamine, heroin, crack cocaine, $10,000 in cash and four guns during the operation.

In a statement, Police Chief Harold Medina said the department will continue to “target these criminals who are preying on vulnerable populations and contributing to violent crime in our community.”

Robert Grado, 34, and Gilbert Hernandez, 49, were also arrested during the raid at the Court John Motel near Fourth and Menaul NW.

Grado was arrested on warrants and his role in the drug trafficking is unclear. Gallegos, the police spokesman, said he will be charged alongside Tomasaour but gave no other details.

Police arrested Hernandez for drug possession after he was found with fentanyl at the motel. According to court records, Hernandez told police he came to the motel to buy fentanyl and was homeless and “on the run from parole.”