Full Notification

An Oregon couple is in custody at the Santa Barbara County Jail following the discovery yesterday, May 10, 2016, of a clandestine drug lab at a residence in the City of Goleta.  28-year-old Adam Estenson and 36-year-old Jana Santo, both from Ashland, Oregon are both being held on $75,000 bail.

Just before 5:00 p.m. last night, a property owner called the Sheriff’s Office to report that unwanted house guests had been staying at an apartment in the 5500 block of Armitos Avenue while a family member was in the hospital.  When deputies arrived, the apartment was empty but they discovered a suspected drug lab.  The residence was sealed off and Santa Barbara County Firefighters responded to assist in case there was a fire hazard associated with the drug lab.  Upon further investigation, it was determined there was no immediate threat to the surrounding community and evacuations were not necessary.

Sheriff’s narcotics detectives, with assistance of the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force (L.A. IMPACT), responded to the scene.  Through the course of the investigation, it was determined the subjects were attempting to produce dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a powerful hallucinogenic drug.  Sheriff’s deputies located Estenson and Santo in the parking lot outside of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.  They were arrested and transported to the Santa Barbara County Jail where they were booked for manufacturing and producing a controlled substance.

The Sheriff’s Office wants to remind the public that these illegal drug manufacturing labs are extremely volatile and dangerous.  They are capable of creating large explosions and put the entire surrounding community at risk. The manufacturing process for DMT requires the extraction of chemicals from root bark through the use of highly toxic and flammable chemicals in an extraction vessel over an open flame.  If you suspect this type of illegal activity is occurring, call law enforcement right away.

Also, it is important to recognize that DMT is a Schedule I drug and has many health risks associated with its use. Such health risks include:  Intense visuals and hallucinations (which alter the users concept and perception of time and reality), stomach discomfort, overwhelming fear, paranoid thoughts of impending doom, lung irritation, increased heart rate and body temperature. 

DMT users can also go into a state of unconsciousness or slip into a drug induced coma which can lead to death due to the user vomiting or choking to death.