LEBEC, CA (Friday, Oct. 19, 2018 at 7:02 a.m.)—A large amount of drugs and a firearm, along with four suspects were taken into custody on Wednesday by Kern County Narcotics Units officers and Homeland Security investigators. The Kern County Sheriff’s Department news release is below. This bust follows a recent Los Angeles Times report that alleged “racial profiling” by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies while making traffic stops along the Grapevine in an effort to catch traffickers.

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Community: The Kern County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit arrests four people during large methamphetamine and heroin seizure.

On October 17, 2018, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit with the assistance of the Department of Homeland Security Investigtions conducted an investigation into suspected drug traffickers. A traffic stop was conducted on Interstate 5 at Frazier Mountain Park Road, Frazier Park, with the assistance of the California Highway Patrol. Inside the vehicle, investigators located the following items of evidence:

10lbs of suspected methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $90,800.00, over 9lbs of suspected heroin with an estimated street value of $333,040.00, and one stolen 9mm loaded handgun with high capacity magazine.

Ruben Cortez (24), Sadol Diaz (20), and Jose Lozano (24), were arrested for the sales/transportation of methamphetamine, sales/transportation of heroin, conspiracy, weapons violations, and possession of a stolen firearm. Ricardo Zepeda (20) was later arrested at Highway 99 at County Line Road, Delano, in relation to this case for conspiracy, sales of methamphetamine, and sales of heroin. All four were booked into the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Central Receiving Facility pending court proceedings.

This is part of the October 19, 2018 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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