A five-month long investigation involving multiple agencies throughout San Luis Obispo county netted 15 arrests and narcotics valued at $100,000 on the street.
According to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office the agencies targeted a major narcotics operation responsible for trafficking and sales of major amounts of heroin.
The agencies involved were the SLO Sheriff’s Special Operations Unit and police department personnel from San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande and Atascadero police departments, SLO County Probation Department, the SLO County District Attorney’s Office, CHP, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and DEA.
According to a press release from the SLO Sheriff’s Office, the drug trafficking network operated out of Paso Robles, Atascadero, San Luis Obispo and the Five Cities area.
Investigators say the operation is tied to the Mexican drug cartels.
According to the press release, 13 search warrants were served simultaneously around 6 a.m. last Wednesday in locations that included San Luis Obispo, Monterey and Riverside counties.
Police seized a quantity of suspected black tar heroin and heroin in pill form.
Also seized were other drugs, guns, and money.
Police also recovered a stolen gun and stolen ATV and trailer.
The combined effort resulted in the seizure of $66,000 in cash, seven and half ounces of heroin with a street value of approximately $10,000, eight vehicles, one boat and 50 guns.
Investigators say one location had 40 of the 50 guns that consisted of revolvers, rifles and semi-automatic weapons.
Police arrested Aldo De Martino Morales, 22, of Atascadero for several warrants for possession, transportation and sales of narcotics/controlled substance; Adrian De Martino Morales, 24, of San Luis Obispo, Jose Jaime Figueroa, 29, of Oceano, Colin Matthew Kennedy, 28, of Pismo Beach, Melissa Ann Clare, 35, of San Luis Obispo, Ryan Oray Krebs, 37, of Arroyo Grande, all for several warrants for possession, transportation and sales of narcotics/controlled substance; Ismael Quintero, 24, of Pismo Beach, for warrant for revocation of probation re-arrest; Bryan Scott Simpson, 29, of San Luis Obispo, for warrant for transportation and sales of controlled substance; Francisco Enrique Morales, 22, of San Luis Obispo, for a warrant for failure to appear; Daniel Quintero Figueroa, 23, of Pismo Beach, for possession of marijuana for sale; Marco Antonio Villanueva 47, of King City for conspiracy to transport and sales of heroin and methamphetamine; Eric Perez, 36, of Perris and Roman Paolo Perez, 26, of Moreno Valley for conspiracy to transport and sales of heroin, money laundering; and Esmeralda Ramos, 25, and Armando Romero Gonzalez, 23, both of Riverside, for conspiracy to transport and sales of heroin.
Read more:
Santa Maria Times: Drug trafficking bust in SLO County leads to 15 arrests
CalCoastNews: 15 arrested in SLO County drug ring with ties to Mexican cartels
SLO Tribune: 15 arrested in bust of heroin-trafficking operation in SLO County
