In their on-going effort to keep alcohol from the under-21 set,  California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents worked with Newark police last week in a decoy shoulder tap operation. 

During their five-hour operation in which an underage decoy asked adults to purchase alcohol for him/her, ABC agents busted six people, five of them for furnishing alcohol to the minor. 

“It is important for adults to realize furnishing alcohol to someone under 21 can have many repercussions ,” said Kevin Highbaugh,  ABC agent and president of the California Association of State Investigators (CASI).  “If that young person gets injured or into some kind of trouble after consuming the alcohol, the person who furnished the alcohol can be held liable, and face civil and criminal charges. “

Of the five arrested in Newark for furnishing alcohol to a minor, two were also arrested for being in possession of drugs.  One suspect had marijuana, the other had methamphetamine for sale.

A sixth suspect was arrested for possessing methamphetamine, violating a criminal protective order and on multiple warrants.

“ABC agents never let up on this effort, which is good thing,” said Alan Barcelona, president of the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA).  CSLEA is an association of 18 law enforcement, public safety and consumer protection affiliates including CASI.  “ABC agents are in the thick of law enforcement,  joining forces with local and federal agencies to combat illegal gambling, drugs, gangs and other types of street crime,  still, they never lose focus of their mission to keep young people safe.”

ABC agents work with dozens of police and sheriff’s departments year round targeting underage drinking using  decoy and undercover operations.