Illegal firearms investigation leads to three Santa Barbara County arrests

August 28, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

Officers recently arrested three men in Santa Barbara County as part of a multi-county illegal firearms investigation.

On Aug. 21, the California Highway Patrol Coastal Division Investigative Services Unit learned that Diego Tostado Galvan, 19, of Watsonville, was traveling with firearms on Highway 101. Officers later located Galvan and Jeremiah Samuel Caldwell, 19, of Castro Valley at a bus station in Santa Barbara.

Both men were in possession of loaded semi-automatic handguns equipped with extended magazines. A search of their luggage revealed five additional firearms, including an assault rifle.

As part of the investigation, Santa Barbara County Deputies served a search warrant at an Isla Vista apartment where they located an additional semi-automatic handgun. Deputies arrested Hamlet Daniel Solis, 20, of Oakland at the apartment.

“This case is an excellent example of the power of partnerships between law enforcement agencies,” said CHP Captain Zivic. “By working together, we were able to safely apprehend armed suspects and remove multiple illegal firearms from our streets, preventing potential violence in our communities.”