Photo: Top, l-r – Gabrielle Plascencia, Antonio Lopez, Bottom l-r – Anthony Lemos, Daniel Esquivel
Ventura County – When the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Jail Classification Unit learned that criminal street gang members currently incarcerated in California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation prison facilities were running a drug smuggling operation operating between Mexico and Ventura County, the FBI’s Ventura County Violent Gang Task Force went to work.
According to VCSD spokesman Det. Gerardo Cruz, the operation was organized and run “by influential gang members incarcerated in CDCR” using smuggled cellphones.
Top – Rebecca Gonzales, Gabriel Cardena, Bottom – Max Castro, Joshua Clark
Their business involved the importation of narcotics by Mexican gang members for distribution and sale by Ventura County gang members. Along with drug smuggling, the jailhouse gangsters were “ordering assaults” on those who were remiss in paying drug debts and were also involved in trafficking in illegal firearms.
More than 25 search warrants in Ventura and Riverside counties resulted in the seizure of “7,480 grams of methamphetamine, 2,347 grams of heroin, 5 handguns, 2 rifles, and over $29,000 in U.S. currency.” Those contacted pursuant to those search warrants were arrested, transported to Ventura County Jail, and charged thusly:
• 45-year-old Oxnard resident Gabriel Cardenas – Conspiracy, possession for sale of a controlled substance and participation in a criminal street gang.
• 36-year-old Oxnard resident Anthony Lemos – Conspiracy, possession for sale of a controlled substance and participation in a criminal street gang.
•40-year-old Oxnard resident Gabrielle Plascencia – Conspiracy, possession for sale of a controlled substance and participation in a criminal street gang.
•37-year-old Oxnard resident Joshua Clark – Conspiracy, possession for sale of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and participation in a criminal street gang.
•36-year-old Rebecca Gonzales – Conspiracy, possession for sale of a controlled substance, and participation in a criminal street gang.
•33-year-old Riverside resident Antonio Lopez – Conspiracy, possession for sale of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and participation in a criminal street gang.
•26-year-old Oxnard resident Daniel Esquivel – Conspiracy, possession for sale of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and participation in a criminal street gang.
•39-year-old Oxnard resident Max Castro – Conspiracy, possession for sale of a controlled substance.
Photos: courtesy Ventura County Jail Booking
