Cocaine seized during a drug operation out of Manitowoc County, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office)
(WTAQ-WLUK) — Two men are in custody after allegedly selling cocaine to a Manitowoc County confidential informant.
Between January and April of 2026, the Manitowoc County Metro Drug Unit, in coordination with the DEA Green Bay Resident Office, DEA Milwaukee District Office, and Milwaukee HIDTA, conducted a joint narcotics investigation targeting cocaine distribution in the Manitowoc and surrounding area.
Through this investigation, law enforcement identified Richard Reed, 39, of Green Bay, and Ernesto Estrada, 58, of Milwaukee, as conspiring to distribute cocaine.
Investigators completed multiple controlled purchases in which Reed and Estrada supplied cocaine to a confidential informant. In total, officers seized over three quarters of a pound of cocaine.
Estrada was arrested following a search warrant at his residence in Milwaukee. In early April, Estrada appeared in the Manitowoc County Circuit Court for a bail hearing, where bail was set at $250,000.
Reed was taken into custody by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team on an unrelated matter and remains housed in the Brown County Jail. Drug distribution charges for Reed have been filed in Manitowoc County.
Ernesto Estrada appeared in the Manitowoc County Circuit Court for a bail hearing, where bail was set at $250,000.
Residents are encouraged to report suspicious activity to their local law enforcement agency.
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