DENVER -- Local and federal officials on Thursday said they have shut down a massive drug trafficking ring in Denver and have indicted 38 people, including the co-owner of a Denver nightclub, whom they say was the mastermind behind the operation.

Of the 38 people who have been indicted, 25 have been arrested, including the alleged ring leader, Thanh Thea Hau.

Hau, 22, faces 59 counts of drug trafficking. Hau is known to be part owner of the Denver nightclub DC 10.

"The principle trafficker our agents identified in Denver was determined to be making up to $150,000 per month. That’s pretty good money for a 22-year-old. Unfortunately for him, he is now out of business," said DEA agent Jeffrey D. Sweetin.

The investigation began in March 2005, when Weld County Task Force agents said they began buying large quantities of Ecstasy from an alleged co-conspirator. These purchases led agents to identify an Ecstasy trafficking organization operating in Denver, Seattle and San Francisco that was also bringing high-quality marijuana to Denver, officials said.

During the investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized 95 pounds of "BC Bud" or high-grade marijuana, three indoor growing operations, thousands of tablets of Ecstasy, and $704,000 in cash and assets.

Thirteen vehicles were seized in the bust, and three cultivation centers in Denver, with 414 live marijuana plants, have been shut down.

Officials said the operation was bringing 50- to 100-pound quantities of the high-grade marijuana grown in the Pacific Northwest and California to Denver.

The marijuana was valued at $3,000 to $4,000 per pound because of its potency.

The DEA said the drug ring involved a very organized crime group that was operating in several states.

"This organization's leadership would fly up to the source areas, decide what marijuana was of sufficiently high potency and quality, then return to Denver and have that delivered through their distribution system, not unlike a legitimate business would," Sweetin said.

According to agents, Hau was in contact with marijuana distributors in Seattle and San Francisco and would personally arrange for the purchase of each load of marijuana. Once the marijuana had been selected from the distributor, Hau would send a driver from Denver to pick up the marijuana and drive the drugs back to Denver in a rental vehicle. The marijuana would be processed into 1-pound bags for delivery to his clients, who in turn sold the marijuana to their clients for up to $500 per ounce, the DEA said.

The investigation also determined that Hau provided clients with paper sacks filled with marijuana, and many of these dealers were seen entering and exiting his home, agents said. In addition, exchanges took place on the side neighborhood streets and in shopping center parking lots.

Once Hau had sold his marijuana supply, he would arrange for another purchase of marijuana, according to investigators.

Hau would have an associate drive the cash to Seattle or San Francisco with money hidden in the vehicle. With this information, agents intercepted the trips to Seattle and made two cash seizures of $132,000 and $149,000, respectively, the DEA said.

On the evening of Sept. 19, DEA investigators watched as Hau allegedly received a large marijuana shipment from San Francisco at his home. Agents continued to watch as Hau allegedly distributed marijuana to many of his customers, who were then followed and arrested. Later that evening, agents executed state of Colorado search warrants on six locations in the Denver area.

The 38 individuals were indicted by a Denver grand jury and are facing drug charges in Denver District Court related to marijuana and Ecstasy distribution, marijuana cultivation and money laundering.

The 152-count indictment, the largest in Denver's history, alleges the individuals were engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity in violation of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act.

The following people have been arrested in relation to the operation:

Thanh Hau, 22, Denver
Jacob Woodward, 22, Denver
Kevin Schweighofer, 22, Denver
Trung Le, 21, Seattle
Jennifer Le, 21, Seattle
Quan Do, 28, Seattle
Hien Nguyen, 44, Denver
Bradley Fox, 23, Morrison, Colo.
Joseph Batista, 23, Denver
Matthew Sears, 22, Littleton, Colo.
Joseph Kensinger, 24, Castle Rock, Colo.
Chad Marques, 25, Castle Rock, Colo.
Kirsten Roszel, 21, Genesee, Colo.
Christopher Martinez, 20, Golden, Colo.
Serjhik Amirchiyan, 25, Aurora, Colo.
David Eisele, 31, Aurora, Colo.
Son Nguyen, 25, Thornton, Colo.
Zachariah Reedholm, 23, Commerce City, Colo.
Joel Freiboth, 25, Denver
Nicholas Moore, 27, Denver
Dang Hau, 18, Aurora, Colo.
Mark Weaver, 21, Denver
Erik Fretheim, 27, Denver
Lam Van, 20, Lone Tree, Colo.
Michael Bryant, 25, Aurora, Colo.

The following individuals were indicted but have not yet been arrested. The public is requested to provide any information concerning their current location to police by contacting the Fugitive Location and Apprehension Group of the Front Range Task Force at 720-748-5018.

Jonathan Kim, 26, Denver
Toan Hoang, 31, Seattle
Hien Dong Vu Ho, 26, Aurora, Colo.
Kim Nguyen, 40, Seattle
Hung Nguyen, 33, Westminster, Colo.
Simon Nguyen, 21, Thornton, Colo.
Austin Sullivan, 20, Littleton, Colo.
Joshua LaFong, 21, Golden, Colo.
Chadwick Florea, 21, Aurora, Colo.
Justin Kaiser, 25, Greeley, Colo.
North Bergan, 20, Centennial, Colo.
Ryan Galitz, 23, Greeley, Colo.
Cahn Khuu, 25, Aurora, Colo.