The McKinley County Narcotics Task Force and the Grants Police Department raided the Franciscan Lodge, an old Route 66-era motel on East Santa Fe Street in Grants, Wednesday night and arrested motel manager Victor Diaz, the Cibola County Beacon reported.

"A tip was received from a federal agency that the manager was cultivating marijuana in the motel and a warrant was issued," Grants Police spokesman John Castaneda told the Beacon.

Castaneda said six to eight marijuana plants were found in the motel office during the raid, and Diaz was arrested on a charge of distributing and possession of drugs, the Beacon said.

"I think we got one of the main guys distributing marijuana in this town. He was growing it, dividing it, packaging it and selling it -- from beginning to end," Castaneda told the paper. "It's always good to get one of the big dealers off the streets."

Also arrested during the raid was a motel maintenance man, whose name was not immediately released, charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, the Beacon reported.