Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara Police Department detectives, working in collaboration with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Task Force and the Oxnard Police Department in an effort to interdict the flow of heroin into Santa Barbara, have been on the tail of Oxnard resident Salvador Cortes Duran, 52, “over the last several weeks,” according to SBPD Public Information Officer Sgt. Riley Harwood.
That protracted period of investigation indicated that Duran has been a “major supplier of heroin” to street dealers throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties over many months. With suspicions and evidence of Duran’s activities mounting, a search warrant was obtained for a pair of Ventura County residences reportedly belonging to him, one of which is immediately adjacent to an elementary school. The warrant was served on September 16th, at which time Duran was contacted “while he was seated in his car” outside one of the homes and summarily taken into custody.
Police display Duran’s confiscated stash
The search warrant of the two houses proved fruitful, as detectives discovered nearly nine pounds of heroin with a street value well in excess of $100,000, four handguns, “two of which were loaded,” a ballistic vest, assorted documents indicating Duran’s active involvement as a distributor of controlled substances, and nearly $100,000 in cash.
Duran was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked on charges of possession of heroin for sale, transportation of heroin, possession of heroin within a school zone, possession of a loaded gun while in possession of heroin, and conspiracy to sell and transport heroin, with his bail set at $500,000.
Photos: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
