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Feds intercept 3,000 pounds of marijuana

February 2, 2016

panga 12

Federal authorities arrested 13 people Saturday after intercepting 3,000 pounds of marijuana the suspects were trying to smuggle into the United States by panga boat at a beach just north of the city of Santa Barbara.

Early Saturday morning, the United States Coast Guard first observed the panga boat at Arroyo Quemada Beach. Drug-traffickers commonly use panga boats at night in an effort to evade law enforcement, according to the affidavit.

Investigators believe that three people were in the boat, and approximately 15 people were observed on shore helping to unload the bales of marijuana. Two vans and a pick-up truck separately drove to the beach, and the suspects loaded the bales of marijuana into the pick-up and one of the vans.

The vehicles then departed the beach at about the same time, but headed in separate directions. Officers stopped the van transporting marijuana in Camarillo and the second van, which was being used to transport people, when it returned to Arroyo Quemada Beach. Officers stopped the pick-up in Carpinteria.

panga 15Law enforcement seized 114 bales of marijuana from the van and the pick-up truck.

All 13 defendants were named in a criminal complaint filed Sunday that charges them with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. The statutory maximum penalty for a violation of possession nearly 3,000 pounds of marijuana with the intent to distribute is life in prison.

Authorities arrested the following individuals:

Hector Raul Bernal-Lara, 41;
Ricardo Sanchez-Marquez, 36;
Daniel Aguilar, 25;
Mark Garcia, 23;
Susana Tobaldo, 42;
Kevin Tes, 22;
Josh Rubio, 21;
Alfonso Aguilar-Ballestros, 48;
Jesus Moreno-Sepulveda, 31;
Santiago Galvan-Carrillo, 48;
Paul Armenta-Bueno, 34;
Bryan Castro, 18; and
Daniel Fernando-Huizar, 26.

The investigation in this case was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Border Patrol, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.


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Thanks. I feel much safer now.


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Any chance that changes the fact he still has zero busts? Anywhere?


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Deport them all. End of story.


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With a life time ban on re-entering the USA.


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These are not the type who wait in line, or enter legally to begin with.

Banning them will not stop them.


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The cost to us is huge! so annoying that Mexico does nothing to help stop drug trafficking


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Why should they? This is how many citizens make a living.


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Drug traffickers run the country. Why would they shoot themselves in the foot?


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Another delivery from the Mother Ship that travels the shipping lane. Completely laughable to think that these overloaded under-fueled boats follow the coast from elsewhere. We have got so much flying around in space, looking down and this continues?


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5 will get you 10 that all those innocent people listed are in this country ILLEGALY


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Come on it’s not “ILLEGALLY” it’s “UNDOCUMENTEDLY”?? you didn’t get the new playbook?


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Not to worry, they’ll be granted amnesty, issued a driver’s license and insurance and even granted a college education; perhaps a law degree so they can eventually become a judge.

This is today’s American dream.”


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I’m sorry what was I thinking they’ll be documented democratic voters by months end.


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Great let’s now spend about $500,000 per person convicting and imprisoning these clowns for the next 5 years, all over some pot plants.


Because we have nothing better to do with 6 million dollars and the people who wanted the marijuana are so so so dangerous.


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No, let’s spend the $500,000 per person guarding our borders and preventing illegals from crossing into our country to begin with.


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HA, so we should legalize it, so our shores will be littered with these panga boats?


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Parkinson’s navy still 0 . How much does it cost taxpayers to maintain Parkinson’s boat? He lied publicly about the cost of doing business with the coastguard to get his toy boat and was never called out for doing so. The coastguard publicly stated he blatantly lied in order to secure himself this prized big boy toy at our expense. I’m sure that half million dollars he wasted could be used to get himself an agent since he seems to spend a ridiculous amount of time preening for the cameras.


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the Feds?? i thought the sheriff got a new toy to do this, where was he?


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Any chance in reading, did you notice it was Santa Barbara and not SLO county?


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