‘We can’t afford it’: Tulare Co. drug operation leads to 37 suspected cartel traffickers arrest
TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A Central Valley drug smuggling ‘cell’ with direct ties to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel has been ‘dismantled’, according to Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, alongside other law enforcement partners at the local, state, and federal level.
The news came after those agencies, including the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, completed the latest large-scale operation that kicked off at 7 a.m. Thursday, that led to the arrest of 37 suspected drug traffickers with ties to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.
“Have been a menace to our society. They’ve been operating in our neighborhoods, endangering the safety of the people who live here, endangering the safety of our children,” said Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.
22 arrested, over 936 lbs of meth seized over 9-month investigation in Tulare County
Boudreaux, at a press conference Thursday afternoon, revealed the multi-agency operation executed 31 different search warrants simultaneously that same morning, at 21 locations in Tulare County, Kings County, and Fresno County.
He says it capped off a nine-month investigation into the Sinaloa Cartel’s stranglehold on the Central Valley.
“During this morning’s operation, we seized 214 pounds of additional methamphetamine, 3.5 kilos of cocaine, five shotguns, 15 handguns, seven rifles, and one bulletproof vest,” said Sheriff Boudreaux.
In total, ‘Operation SLO Ride’, the nine-month investigation kicked off by a tip from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, and named for such, has resulted in a total of 85 arrests, the seizure of 955 pounds of methamphetamine, 6.5 kilos of cocaine, over 64,000 fentanyl pills, over 80 guns, and $640k in cash.
“This massive operation required an incredible amount of resources. But today, I stand up here, and confidently say we destroyed this deep-rooted drug distribution network,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark told the room.
Sheriff Boudreaux Thursday also doubled down on his calls for border security and blamed what he called an insecure border as the reason for operations like ‘Operation SLO Ride’ needing to exist, now and in the future.
“We need a strong and secure border, or we will continue seeing cases just like this one, where people’s lives are in jeopardy. We can’t afford it any longer,” he said.
As for what’s next, Boudreaux said there are still six outstanding suspects they continue to look for at this time in relation to this operation, and reiterated that even though this drug ‘cell’ has been dismantled, cartels continue operations throughout other portions of the Central Valley.
