Escondido Police announced a series of drug-related arrests Thursday morning from a joint operation that spanned several months across multiple jurisdictions.
Escondido Police Chief Craig Carter said that before the press conference, "Operation Double Take" netted 29 arrests, but by the start of the presentation, the number was up to 32 and arrests will continue to be made.
"These are members of your community," Chief Carter said.
DEA agent Bill Sherman said those arrested were mid- to high-level traffickers between 21- and 64-years-old during the operation, which ended in a coordinated raid on February 24.
"In this particular case, the crime involved was drug trafficking, obviously, and we're fortunate to take 32 traffickers off the street," Sherman said.
Sherman said the traffickers they picked up had "extensive criminal histories to include rape, armed robbery and burglary."
Law enforcement also took in three-and-a-half pounds of meth, three ounces of cocaine, two pounds or marijuana, two firearms and a car. One of the firearms was stolen.
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Carter said Proposition 47 and AB 109 has impacted the way they're able to run investigations and prosecute, "and unfortunately, the bad guys know that," but they will continue to crack down on drug trafficking and make high-level arrests to slow down the drug sales in the county.
The U.S. Marshal’s Service Fugitive Task Force Team, Escondido Special Investigations Unit and the DEA's Violent Trafficker Team partnered in the joint investigation and used surveillance techniques and undercover operations to gain intelligence into the drug trafficking networks.
Both Chief Carter and Agent Sherman said "this operation is far from over."
