Two Albert Lea men were charged in Freeborn County District Court Tuesday with multiple charges related to cocaine sales during the past several months.

The first man, Oziel Valdez, 34, was charged with two second-degree cocaine sales charges and one third-degree cocaine sales charge.

Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Valdez over the weekend at his residence on 207 Pearl St. in Albert Lea after an eight-month investigation that included him allegedly selling cocaine to a drug task force informant on three different occasions.

According to the complaint, Valdez was found selling 2.9 grams, 2.4 grams and then 3 grams of cocaine to the drug task force informant.

His bail was set at $100,000 for each of his charges, and a Rule 8 hearing was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. July 7.

Each of his charges carries maximum penalties ranging from 20 to 25 years in prison and $250,000 to $500,000 in fines.

The second man, Reinaldo Quesada, 32, was charged with second-degree cocaine sales and second-degree conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

In 2003, Quesada was convicted of selling cocaine in Rice County and was ordered on probation with the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

Over the weekend, he was arrested at his residence on 1224 James Ave. after a five-month investigation involving different individuals selling cocaine. Quesada allegedly was found to have sold cocaine to a drug task force informant.

Because he has been convicted before, he faces higher punishments if found guilty.

His charges each carry maximum penalties of 40 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

Bail was set at $100,000 for each of his charges, and a Rule 8 hearing was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. July 7.

Freeborn County Drug Task Force Deputy Corey Farris said the two arrests were unrelated but were both similar in that they were part of investigations that involved multiple suspects and that came to a close around the same time.

Farris said over the course of the investigations, six men have been investigated who were tied to the group Valdez was in and three men have been investigated who were part of the group Quesada was in.