Full Notification

Edgar Cordova, age 29, of Santa Barbara was arrested for conspiracy to commit extortion for the benefit of a criminal street gang. Cordova’s arrest stemmed from a 16-month Santa Barbara Police Department investigation that previously led to the arrests of Benjamin Ybarra, Jesse Martin Enriquez, Franco Eric Aguiniga, and Ruben Jose Regalado Jr. on October 1, 2014 for similar charges. Cordova is a Santa Barbara area gang member. He was arrested in San Diego.

Following the June 6, 2013 arrest of Santa Barbara area gang member Raymond Macias for kidnapping, torture, and solicitation of extortion, a Lompoc Police Department case, SBPD detectives have been engaged in an ongoing investigation into the influence of the Mexican Mafia prison gang and Surenos (Southern California Hispanic street gang members) in the commission of crimes throughout Santa Barbara County. Their investigation established that Cordova, along with the others, conspired to extort money from Santa Barbara County residents on behalf of the Mexican Mafia. The victims were involved in both criminal and legitimate activities. This practice is colloquially referred to by gang members as “collecting taxes.”

On September 25, 2014 a $1,700,000.00 felony arrest warrant was issued for Cordova for the aforementioned crimes. Cordova was already a fugitive from justice, having fled to Mexico after posting bail on three pending criminal cases in 2013. The California Department of Justice Bureau of Investigation San Diego Field Office and the Policia Estatal Preventiva of Baja California, Mexico, Liaison Unit assisted in efforts to locate Cordova in Mexico. On October 12, 2014 Cordova was arrested on his warrants when he entered the United States at a border crossing in San Diego. He was initially booked into the San Diego County Jail. Cordova waived his right to extradition proceedings and on October 15, 2014 was transported by SBPD detectives to Santa Barbara and booked into Santa Barbara County Jail.