WATSONVILLE — Law enforcement officials from three agencies arrested eight people Tuesday, in what police are describing as a “well-orchestrated” scheme to smuggle drugs and tobacco into Santa Cruz County Jail.
Ivan Ruelas, 18, Juan Espinoza, 23, Cezar Espinoza, 25, Selene Hernandez, 22, and Candy Aguilar, 24, were charged with conspiracy to bring drugs into a jail facility. They also face gang enhancements.
Also implicated in the case were Ismael Rodriguez, 24, and Aaron Ibarra, 21, both of whom were already in custody in Santa Cruz County Jail, jail records showed.
Rodriguez has been in custody since May 13 on several charges, including DUI, driving on a suspended license and possession of drugs for sale.
Ibarra was booked on June 15 on battery charges, as well as violating a protective order and gang charges.
Watsonville Police officers, with California Highway Patrol and California State Parole agents, served arrest and search warrants at residences in Watsonville, Moss Landing and the unincorporated area of Santa Cruz County.
There, they found “street level” amounts of marijuana, tobacco and cocaine, Watsonville Police Sgt. Brian Ridgway said.
They also found five firearms and gang paraphernalia.
The investigation began when investigators used “alternate investigative leads” to discover that there was a plan to smuggle cocaine, marijuana and tobacco into the jail, Ridgway said.
That led to a two-month investigation, during which investigators learned of a plot in which one person would smuggle in drugs to inmates in the jail.
“We were able to intercept those drugs the subject was taking to the jail,” Ridgway said.
Ridgway said the “well-orchestrated” smuggling scheme was not the first one for the gang.
“I am certain of it, because of the way this network worked together to make this happen,” he said.
The arrests have put a dent on efforts to bring contraband into the jail, Ridgway said.
“Their avenues of communication – the avenues they normally take, their comfort zones – have been interrupted,” he said. “We’ve diverted the stream to another direction, and we need to go to that direction next.”
