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News Release -
Santa Barbaba County Sheriff's Office

Panga Boat Drug Trafficking Leads To Six Arrests.

Santa Barbara – In the early morning hours of June 15, 2012, the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Bureau - Narcotics Unit, with the assistance of the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office Special Enforcement Team "SWAT", the Ventura County Sheriff's Office - Narcotics Bureau, the California State Parks, and the California Highway Patrol, conducted an operation in the area of El Capitan State Beach as a result of an on-going investigation into the illegal trafficking of narcotics from Mexico. As a result of this on-going investigation, six subjects were arrested after off-loading approximately 1,400 lbs. of marijuana that they received from a Panga boat.

Arrested were;
Habel Martinez Herrera, DOB: 11-14-68 of Mexico,
David Arredondo DOB: 2-26-86 of Compton, California.
Martin Guzman DOB: 7-8-82 of Compton, California.
Marco Antonio Rangel DOB: 9-1-81 of Mexico.
Mauricio Brito DOB: 1-23-91 of Compton, California.
Deiber Chavez DOB: 2-8-86 of Los Angeles, California.

These suspects were arrested for transportation of marijuana and possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, and booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail. The approximate street value of the marijuana is $4,200,000.00.