“I can only imagine the gratitude residents in Placer County feel for the law enforcement officers who conducted this operation, arrested the suspects and seized the large quantities of illicit drugs and illegal firearms. We thank them for their work in helping to keep our communities safe.”– CSLEA
ROSEVILLE – On August 18, 2023, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with local law enforcement partners, announced the felony arrests of two suspected narcotic traffickers and the seizure of various illicit drugs including fentanyl, as well as illegal handguns, and large amounts of cash in Placer County.
The arrests are a result of an investigation by the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Placer County Special Investigation Unit (PSIU). PSIU is a California-DOJ led narcotics task force that works in collaboration with multiple law enforcement partners. After arresting a suspect in Roseville, PSIU and a team from California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Special Services Unit (CDCR SSU) immediately executed a search warrant on the suspect’s primary residence and observed the second suspect attempting to flee the scene with narcotics in his possession. A search of the home and the suspects found:
- approximately 8,000 fentanyl pills,
- nearly 10 pounds of fentanyl powder,
- 34 grams of cocaine,
- 650 Xanax pills,
- 7 pounds of heroin,
- 3 pounds of methamphetamine,
- two handguns,
- and more than $57,000.
The suspects were arrested on August 8 and face charges by the Placer County District Attorney’s Office of transportation of opiates, possession of firearms, conspiracy, as well as possession of opiates, cocaine, and amphetamines for sale.
DOJ’s allied task forces are working actively with law enforcement partners throughout California to detect, deter, disrupt, and dismantle criminal fentanyl operations and prevent fentanyl from reaching neighborhoods and communities.
Since April 2022, DOJ fentanyl seizures totaled:
- 9,348,852 fentanyl pills seized
- 1,213 pounds of powder seized
- Over 200 arrests
