Seven people are facing federal drug trafficking charges after being arrested in Camarillo last week following a month-long, multi-agency investigation, the DEA said Tuesday.
Special Agents from the DEA and investigators assigned to the Ventura County Combined Agency Team began an investigation into Homero Diaz, 24, of Bakersfield.
Diaz was revealed to be responsible for trafficking methamphetamine and fake prescription pills into Ventura County, officials said. The pills contained fentanyl and were pressed to look like prescription oxycodone.
Diaz and six of his co-conspirators were arrested March 16 on suspicion of federal charges of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. The arrests were made in Camarillo, where Diaz was allegedly coordinating a delivery of fentanyl and methamphetamine, officials said.
The other suspects were identified as Manuel Martinez, 24, of Ventura; Apolinar Mena, 30 of Compton; Francisco Placencia, 28, of Compton; Antonio DeJesus Santana, 31, of Riverside; Jesus Varela, 28, of Torrance and Jaime Gomez Lopez, 27, of Compton.
Officials also seized approximately 50,000 fentanyl pills and 45 pounds of methamphetamine from three cars the suspects had arrived in. The amount of drugs seized has an approximate street value of $230,000, authorities said.
The suspects were booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles and made their initial appearance on March 17.