During these operations, more suspects were identified, more drugs were found and more guns and cash were confiscated. In October 2023, TNT-HIDTA and the DEA began working together on a larger-scale operation naming it
Operation SLO Ride.
The operation had identified and disrupted two drug trafficking organizations with 28 suspects. Drug Trafficking Operations have been dismantled in Visalia, Tulare, Porterville, Orosi, Dinuba, Corcoran, Armona, Reedley, and Exeter.
“Thursday morning, teams from across the state went after known drug traffickers in our area with direct ties to the Sinaloa Mexican Drug Cartel.” Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux reported during the press conference.
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“This investigation dismantled, completely dismantled this drug operating cell. Now, they didn’t completely get rid of cartels operating here in the Central Valley, but this cell was completely dismantled.”
The operation is part of a greater effort called the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program, which works around the country to target drug operations. The investigation included phone taps and confidential sources.
“It’s a unique grant program that it funds strategies developed and implemented at the local level by a coalition of federal, state, and local partners,” said John Martin, director of HIDTA Central Valley.
“The intelligence we gathered provided a wealth a knowledge, which detailed the full scope of this organization. We knew who was calling the shots, the size of each drug load, who was transporting the drugs, and what their final destination was,” said DEA Special Agent Brian Clark.
Up until these recent raids, Operation SLO Ride had seized 389 pounds of meth, 70 grams of cocaine, 3.5 kilos of heroin, 8 pounds of fentanyl, about $340,000 in cash, 18 handguns, and 12 rifles.
During this week’s operation, a total of 214 pounds of meth, 3.5 kilos of cocaine, 5 shotguns, 15 handguns, 7 rifles, one bullet-proof vest, and $300,476 were seized.
At the 31 locations, 37 known drug traffickers were arrested; 22 will face federal charges related to narcotics and/or the sales of drugs, and 15 will face state charges.
- 85 Total Arrests
- 28 Federal Arrests
- 955 pounds of Meth
- 6.5 kilos of Cocaine
- 64,020 Fentanyl pills
- 81 Guns
- 1 Bulletproof Vest
- $640,476 Cash
Sinaloan Trafficker
Alberto “Beto” Alvarado, 53
Alleged to be the Mexico-based source of supply who directed the importation and transportation of methamphetamine, cocaine, as well as other controlled substances in Tulare County and elsewhere. He is currently a fugitive from justice. It is reported that “Beto” works for the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS).
Distributors
Freddy Alvarado, 45
Cutler, California
Alleged to have conspired with his brother, Alberto “Beto” Alvarado, to receive approximately 266 pounds of methamphetamine from Medina.
Alfonso Ortiz & Angelica Flores
Tulare, California
Alleged to be a large-scale methamphetamine distributor in Tulare County, who distributed methamphetamine with the assistance of his sister Angelica Flores, alleged to be a methamphetamine distributor and transporter who operated at the direction of her brother.
Lorraine Renteria is Ortiz’s girlfriend and is alleged to have used her vehicle and residence to aid in Ortiz’s distribution of methamphetamine. On Dec. 18, 2023, Renteria purchased a new cellphone for Ortiz after Ortiz informed Renteria that he was being monitored by law enforcement.
Landon Jones, 43
Tulare, California
Alleged to be a pound-level methamphetamine customer of Ortiz, as well as a methamphetamine distributor in Tulare County.
Transporter & Dealer Arrests
Joshua Brock was arrested on Oct. 1, 2023, after obtaining methamphetamine from Flores. He had previously obtained meth several times before.
On Oct. 17, 2023, Alejandro Hernandez Diarte was arrested with approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine while transporting the drugs from a known stash house in Orange Cove.
On Oct. 21, 2023, Cornell Hicks was supplied with methamphetamine by Flores and subsequently stopped and arrested with the drugs. On Dec. 23, 2023, Hicks purchased methamphetamine from Garcia and was arrested again. During the second arrest, Hicks was illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
William Bosma of Visalia was arrested on Oct. 24, 2023, after fleeing from police with multiple pounds of methamphetamine previously purchased by Jones from Ortiz.
On Dec. 16, 2023, a vehicle Anthony Ochoa (Vega’s Cousin) was driving was stopped resulting in the seizure of approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine.
On Dec. 20, 2023, Yerlly Vega was arrested while transporting approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine for Alvarado.
Jennifer Huerta of Visalia was arrested on Dec. 29, 2023, while transporting methamphetamine obtained from Ortiz to Arnold Huerta. Arnold Huerta was also found to be illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Jesus Marin of Fontana is alleged to be a methamphetamine source of supply and transporter who was arrested on Jan. 6, 2024, with approximately 5 pounds of methamphetamine that was supplied by Ortiz.
On Jan. 25, 2024, James Earl Melo was arrested after methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin were seized at his residence.
On Feb. 13, 2024, Edgar Robles Amezquita was arrested with methamphetamine and was found illegally in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On Feb. 19, 2024, Priscilla Pitts ordered a pound of methamphetamine from Ortiz and was stopped and arrested with the drugs after departing Ortiz’s residence.
On Feb. 19, 2024, Carlos Fernando Macias Manzo was seen at Ortiz’s residence, unloading three large duffle bags into Ortiz’s garage. On the same date, Macias was stopped by law enforcement, and investigators seized approximately $65,040 in US currency.
On Feb. 20, 2024, Ortiz and Flores allegedly supplied Francisco Garcia with 10 pounds of methamphetamine, which was seized from Garcia during a subsequent stop, and Garcia was found to be illegally in possession of a firearm.
On Feb. 23, 2024, a vehicle Jorge Avila Perez was driving was stopped resulting in the seizure of approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine.
On Feb. 25, 2024, Roberto Soria-Cuevas was arrested while transporting approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine for Alvarado.
On Mar. 6, 2024, Jose Maria Medina-Franco was arrested while transporting approximately 266 pounds of methamphetamine for Alvarado. Medina is also reported to have run a stash house for the drug network.
Jose Ramon Mayorga, 30, is alleged to have purchased approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine from Alvarado and distributed by Medina and Vega.
Cory Jay Donaldson of Tulare is alleged to have distributed methamphetamine and firearms to a confidential source during controlled purchases. Donaldson has been intercepted multiple times distributing methamphetamine or obtaining methamphetamine from Ortiz.
Derrick Wallen, 33, of Tulare, is alleged to have maintained a drug stash house for Alfonso Ortiz and possessed more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine.
Marie Quaadman, 49, of Corcoran, allegedly sold methamphetamine to a confidential source. She has also been intercepted multiple times ordering various quantities of methamphetamine from Ortiz.
Adam Sahagun of Tulare allegedly sold firearms and ammunition to a confidential source.
Tulare County Gang Violence
On January 17, 2023, reports of a shooting at 3:35AM occurred in the town of Goshen, in Tulare County, California just west of Visalia.
Six were found dead including a teenage mother and her 10-month-old infant, who were found shot out in the road by the house.
Parts of the killings were seen on nearby security cameras. A pair of men are seen, guns drawn entering the driveway and house. Later, the teen mother and her child are seen attempting to escape but jumping the fence. Only to be followed out and shot dead.
Initially, the Tulare Sheriff told media outlets the massacre was cartel-related. Later, those comments were updated to be “I’m not saying this is a cartel, but I am not eliminating that possibility.”
A few weeks later, the
arrest of the two alleged killers was announced following a shootout with ATF. The killing was the result of a long-standing feud between Sureño and Norteño gang members in the area. Past reports of assaults and shootings between relatives of the victims and their killers.
The family member, on parole from drug charges, who was the likely intended target of the attack wasn’t home at the time. During and as a result of the investigation, over a dozen Norteño and Nuestra Familia prison cells were searching for evidence of any communications about the incident.
2 Ton Meth Bust in Riverside County
The night prior to the recent raids in central California, HSI and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department took part in a seizure of 4,038 pounds of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine was seized in the unincorporated area of Riverside County and the City of West Covina in LA County.
It was not reported that there was a connection between the seizure and the group in Tulare County, some 4 hours north. However, the 4,038 pounds of meth reportedly belonged to the Sinaloa Cartel as well.
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