Anonymous
Update by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
At approximately 3:04 a.m. [Wednesday] morning, Santa Barbara Sheriff’s detectives, patrol deputies, and personnel with allied agencies intercepted a panga boat at Arroyo Quemada beach that was carrying 3,164 pounds of methamphetamine, making this the largest drug seizure in the history of Santa Barbara County. It is also one of the largest methamphetamine seizures in the nation’s history. Detectives from Santa Barbara County Special Investigations Bureau were assisted by Sheriff’s K9 Units, County Air Support and outside agencies including the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security, FBI, United States Coast Guard, California State Parks Police and the California Highway Patrol K9 and Coastal Division Air Operations. This interception was part of an extensive investigation and cooperative effort by all of the agencies involved.
“Today’s seizure of a panga boat illicitly smuggling more than a ton and a half of methamphetamine into our county and the arrest of the 33 suspects responsible for transporting and unloading its ruinous cargo was a major milestone in counter-drug operations in Santa Barbara County,” said Sheriff Bill Brown. “Drug cartels, smugglers and illicit narcotic dealers know no international, state or local boundaries. This successful operation was made possible only through the collaborative investigative and operational efforts of local, state and federal authorities. We will never know how many lives were saved from overdose or addictive misery as a result of this exceptional law enforcement action.”
The panga boat, which originated in Mexico, was tracked to the shore of Arroyo Quemada beach. It is a 40-foot homemade boat equipped with three 300-horsepower Yamaha engines. The arrestees include 29 adult males, 1 adult female and 3 juveniles. The 30 adults were transported by jail van and transported to the Main Jail for conspiracy (felony), and transportation of narcotics for sale (felony). Two of the suspects, Ricardo Desales and Fernando Arroyo, attempted to flee and were both bitten while being apprehended by Sheriff’s K9 units. They were both medically cleared, and booked with an additional charge of resisting arrest (misdemeanor). All of the adult suspects were booked at the Main Jail, the juveniles were released to their parents and their identities are not available for publication. This case will be prosecuted by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office pending review by the United States Attorney.
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SUSPECTS ARRESTED |
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|
Name |
Age |
Residency |
|
Gonzales, Antonia |
33 |
Riverside, Ca. |
|
Alvarez, Juan |
43 |
Pomona, Ca |
|
Padilla, Jesse |
30 |
Whittier, Ca. |
|
Ortega, Noe |
37 |
Jurupa Valley, Ca. |
|
Carrillo-Galvan, Santigo |
53 |
Goleta, Ca. |
|
Barrios, Joel |
50 |
Bell, Ca. |
|
Transito-Alejo, Enrique |
58 |
Goleta, Ca. |
|
Ortega, Aldolfo |
72 |
Mira Loma, Ca. |
|
Saenz-Avila, Mario |
35 |
Goleta, Ca. |
|
Ortega, Enrique |
25 |
Mira Loma, Ca. |
|
Loza, Saul |
29 |
Goleta, Ca. |
|
Moreno-Sepulveda, Gabriel |
31 |
Santa Barbara, Ca. |
|
Valles-Vasquez, Rogelio |
61 |
Santa Barbara, Ca. |
|
Sosa, Israel |
38 |
Goleta, Ca. |
|
Franco-Gonzalez, Indargo |
51 |
Moreno Valley, Ca. |
|
Mojardin, Felix |
25 |
Goleta, Ca. |
|
Martinez, Rodolfo |
59 |
Santa Barbara, Ca. |
|
Lopez-Felix, Oswaldo |
37 |
Goleta, Ca. |
|
Arzate-Garcia, Salomon |
43 |
Riverside, Ca. |
|
Guevara-Valencia, Vicente |
58 |
Mira Loma, Ca. |
|
Ayala, Henry |
62 |
Whittier, Ca. |
|
Armendariz, Brian |
26 |
Santa Barbara, Ca. |
|
Joanico, Mariano |
35 |
Goleta, Ca. |
|
Zavala-Luna, Pedro |
41 |
Santa Barbara, Ca. |
|
Pacheco, Ernesto |
32 |
Los Angeles, Ca. |
|
Desales, Ricardo |
51 |
Anaheim, Ca. |
|
Rodriguez-Galvez, Luis |
44 |
Whittier, Ca. |
|
Martinez, Alexis |
24 |
Santa Barbara, Ca. |
|
Arroyo, Fernando |
42 |
Moreno Valley, Ca. |
|
Franco-Gonzalez, Humberto |
54 |
Santa Barbara, Ca. |
[All booking photos are available here]
By an edhat reader
In the early morning hours of August 19, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Deputies, assisted by other agencies, seized a ‘Panga’ boat on the shore near Tajiguas, taking a number of suspects into custody. The U.S. Border Patrol took possession of the boat. At one point helicopter observers reported ten suspects on foot in the area.
10 people , that’s at least 100k in cargo right there.
Book and release em- Thank You Gov Newscum
i don’t think this is good. i mean.. our country is changing.. and this type of stuff needs to change too. now if they don’t want it to come by boat, but want it to come fedex.. that would be ok.. but it has to come.
we have to turn into mexico.. and south america. we just have to. the gap will be closed. from little portland
to tijuana..
this land was made for you.. (drug addicts and rioters) and me..
i say the quicker we stop fighting these things, the better.
it’s all inevitable anyway.
if only we can get these smugglers from transporting meth to doing math.
i mean.. how different are they.. really?
I wonder how many boats slipped through for every one that is caught by the sheriff. There are probably at least three hiding in his mustache waiting for a moonless night.
I found it odd 33 people could of been on the boat with all that meth…sounds like the cartels are turning on each other…Adios MS13!!
33 is the highest ritual for free masons , what a coincidence!
Wonder how many already got cerveza sickness, just heard from CDC that it is very bad just 200 miles away!
Can’t wait to see ponga boats full of covid refugees on the coast next year this time!! To hell with the meth, we need the hydrocolorquine!
That Super lab sure could use a shiny new MOAB. 🙂
Provide actual info that your assertion is true. Highly doubt that it is. What is going on with the personal attacks on Edhat?
Driving that boat, high on meth
Senior Jones you better watch your speed
Trouble ahead, trouble behind
And you know that notion just crossed my mind
This old engine makes it on time
Leaves Tijuana ’bout a quarter to nine
Hits channel islands at seventeen two
At a quarter to ten you know it’s travelin’ again
I am amazed they had 33 people on the boat too…
There is some great Coast Guard footage of previous Ponga busts on DVIDS.
Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast Pursues Panga
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/669728/coast-guard-cutter-steadfast-pursues-panga
probably not their first operation on our beach, hopefully the last!! Surprised at the number of locals – must have been relocated for the ongoing biz