Full Notification

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Investigations Bureau, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) concluded a multi-month investigation into individuals suspected of selling illegal guns and narcotics in the Santa Barbara area. The Sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau is intentionally targeting armed narcotics traffickers due to the significant threat they pose to our community. During this investigation, undercover detectives purchased a fully automatic assault weapon with no serial number and methamphetamines from a Santa Barbara County resident.

On Wednesday, June 4, the Sheriff’s Special Investigations Bureau and BATFE, with the assistance of the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Team executed an arrest warrant and search warrant in the 300 block of San Marino Drive in Santa Barbara.  The warrants were served to gather further evidence related to the unlawful sales of guns and narcotics.

Based upon the evidence obtained during the investigation, detectives arrested Paulo Desena age 31, of Santa Barbara.  Desena was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on numerous charges which include, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful sales of an assault weapon, possession of an assault weapon in the commission of a felony, possession of a machine gun, unlicensed sale of a firearm, sales of a firearm without a serial number, sale of a firearm to someone other than the actual purchaser and sale of a firearm to a prohibited person.

Desena’s bail was set at $500,000.