Jose Colon-Lora and Jorge Rivera were arrested in July, according to court documents.
HACKENSACK - New Jersey prosecutors have filed a civil forfeiture lawsuit to seize more than $700,000 cash and two cars from suspects at the center of a drug-trafficking investigation based in Bergen County.
Jose Colon-Lora and Jorge Rivera were arrested in July after police searched an apartment in Edgewater where the two men lived, according to court papers filed Oct. 11 in Bergen County Superior Court.
Armed with a search warrant, investigators with New Jersey State Police on July 26 found $732,124 cash, cocaine, heroin, paraphernalia associated with packages drugs for sale, along with paraphernalia used to count bulk currency and package it, the lawsuit states.
Investigators also seized a 2014 Nissan Altima, 2015 Acura and a 2012 Ford, the suit states.
The cash, Altima and Acura were in Colon-Lora's possession and the Ford was in Rivera's possession, the prosecutor said. Those items are now in state custody under the jurisdiction of the Bergen County courts, the suit states.
The lawsuit, filed by Deputy Attorney General Susan C. Wolansky, claims the men used the cash and vehicles to facilitate criminal activities. The suit states the Ford was equipped with after-market installed concealed compartments.
The Acura was believed to have been purchased with drug money, the suit states.
"Colon-Lora has no reported earnings in the state of New Jersey," the lawsuit claims.
The investigation was part of a larger probe involving another suspect and drug trafficking in New York and New Jersey, the suit states.
Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.