almighty Latin Touch Boy Nation gang activity at a suspected methamphetamine lab busted last month on La Porte’s east side.

Those were among the new details released after Friday’s initial court appearances of Dustin Hine, 23, and 21-year-old Briana Lucas.Both defendants are charged with Class A felony dealing methamphetamine and Class C felony illegal drug lab: possession /sale of precursors.According to court documents, members of the La Porte Metro Operations Unit, Indiana State Police and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency on Jan. 27 responded to the 400 block of Lincoln Way where officers were prepared to make an arrest after seeing evidence that a large quantity of pseudo ephedrine was being purchased at a nearby pharmacy.The cold medication is a main ingredient of methamphetamine.Once allowed inside, detectives found an active meth lab consisting of the drug cooking inside several soda bottles that had smoke coming out of plastic tubes from the pressure released by the cooking process, court documents revealed.
Among the other items seized were ingredients for meth such as red lye, fuel lithium battery strips and cooking utensils such as funnels and coffee filters, police said.
Pseudo ephedrine was also found in a coffee grinder and several glass tubes.There was sodium hydrochloride recovered from a white plastic jar. Court documents also revealed that gang symbols such as ALTBN and five-point crowns were sprayed on the walls in red paint.The letters stand for “almighty Latin Touch Boy Nation,’’ police said.Hine and Lucas were both ordered held in the La Porte County Jail on $5,000 cash only bond to await the conclusion of their cases.If convicted, Hine and Lucas both could face anywhere from a 20- to 50-year sentence on one of the counts.