DEA Busts Woodstock Auto Shop Manager Over Cocaine‑Fentanyl Sale

Federal agents swooped in on a Woodstock auto shop and took Genaro Bahena‑Arellano into custody. The 50‑year‑old is accused of running a drug operation from his workplace on Lake Avenue. Court papers say he was the manager of Woodstock Automotive Service, LLC, even though the company had been dissolved back in 2021.

The probe began in July after a confidential informant tipped off DEA agents in Rockford. The source said Bahena told him he could sell cocaine by the ounce or the kilogram. In mid‑July the informant arranged to buy 4.5 ounces for $3,000. The deal was set up over a phone call that was secretly recorded. Before the handoff, agents saw another man hand Bahena a white plastic bag. The informant met Bahena at the shop, bought the cocaine, and a field test showed the powder contained both cocaine and fentanyl.

Bahena has a criminal past. He was convicted of aggravated battery in a public place in 2023 and faces another battery charge in a pending case. He has listed addresses in Carpentersville and Woodstock. He made his first court appearance on Sept. 11, and a detention hearing is set for Thursday in Rockford federal court.

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