EUREKA – On February 15, 2018, California Department of Justice (DOJ) special agents assisted the Humboldt County Drug Task Force with serving six search warrants in a drug trafficking investigation in Eureka and Arcata.

During the course of the operation, law enforcement officers seized:

• approximately five pounds of suspected methamphetamine,
•  a butane extraction lab,
• approximately 12 grams of suspected cocaine,
• two grams of suspected heroin,
• seven vicodin,
• 54 xanax,
• 14 hydrocodone,
• and 13 clonazepam.

In addition to the drugs and lab, law enforcement officers seized scales, packaging material and prepackaged narcotics. Additionally, DOJ special agents seized three semi-automatic pistols that were illegally possessed.

“Seizing illegally possessed firearms, illegal drugs and the equipment to traffic drugs goes a long way in protecting the citizens of these communities,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “Drug dealers contribute to violence and crime in our neighborhoods and law enforcement officers are the thin line between law abiding citizens and those who threaten their safety.”

Six individuals were arrested in connection with this investigation:

• Vicente Lopez-Garcia, 26, was arrested and booked for possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of a narcotic for sale and maintaining a residence for the purposes of distributing controlled substances.
• Vicente Lopez-Moreno, 52, was arrested and booked for possession of a controlled substance for sale and maintaining a residence for the purposes of distributing controlled substances.
• Isis Maldonado-Salinas, 25, was arrested and booked for possession of a controlled substance for sale and maintaining a residence for the purposes of distributing controlled substances.
• Alexis Juarez-Pompa, 23, was arrested and booked for manufacturing concentrated cannabis using a volatile solvent without a license, and maintaining a residence for the purposes of distributing a controlled substance.
• Yesenia Hernandez-Pulido, 25, was arrested and booked for manufacturing concentrated cannabis using a volatile substance without a license.
• Christian Castillo, 29, was arrested and booked for possession of a narcotic for sale and possession of a firearm while in possession of a narcotic.

The operation was conducted by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, the California Department of Justice, Eureka Police Department, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Bureau of Land Management, and the United States Forest Service.

The investigation is ongoing and future arrests are anticipated.

Source:

Six arrested with drugs and firearms - The Times-Standard