Defendants arrested in an FBI drug bust Wednesday began posting bail Monday, when a federal judge allowed family members to put up their homes as collateral.

Federal Magistrate Maria-Elena James allowed at least three of the alleged drug traffickers to post $200,000 bonds, with their family members offering the equity they own in their homes as surety.

Daniel Sang Jun Park and brothers Eric and Loung Chong, all facing charges related to distributing the drug ecstasy, won their possibly temporary freedom over federal prosecutors' requests they remain detained.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Frentzen said last week's indictments, in which at least 16 defendants are named, involves a lot of international travel and that the young men pose flight risks.

One individual related to the case has already fled to China, Frentzen said.

Park had recently traveled to Korea, and despite reporting no employment for three years, "based on surveillance he's not exactly destitute," Frentzen said.

He also cited a May arrest in which the Chong brothers had been caught with almost 6,000 ecstasy pills in their car. He summarized the evidence against the defendants and said they were involved in trafficking "thousands (of pills) per week."

Counsel for the Chongs said they are lifelong residents of the Bay Area who have never left the country, and said their remaining in the area after their May arrest demonstrated they were not flight

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risks.

Judge James set each bond at $200,000, accepting nearly $400,000 in equity from two homes owned by the Chongs' family, and requiring Park's mother to co-sign on equity offered by Park's uncle, who lives in Los Angeles.