WATSONVILLE, Calif.- Members of the Santa Cruz County Anti Crime Team foiled a gang plot to smuggle drugs to Santa Cruz County Jail inmates.
Investigators said they learned of the scheme two weeks ago and began to track members of the Poorside Watsonville gang.
Four men were arrested for transportation and possession of narcotics for sales or distribution, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, and conspiracy to bring narcotics into a jail.
Task Force members gathered evidence to suggest that Abraham Sanchez, Michael Gonzalez, David Sanchez, and Angel Torres planned to hide drugs on or in their body and try to get arrested for a minor offense.
Once the men were taken to jail, they would be able to take the items into the jail and distribute them. Investigators discovered that a higher ranking gang member who was out of custody at this time planned to assist with the facilitation and supervision of the entire incident.
Last Thursday, Watsonville police officers were called to the Discount Mall on Second St. for what was called a gang disturbance. Two of the men who were under surveillance were at the scene. Task Force agents did a search of the mens' bodies and found several types of drugs concealed in Michael Gonzalez' rectum.
The narcotics had been meticulously packaged in a way that would allow an individual to conceal these items within his body without contaminating the items or overdosing. In total 28.9 grams of marijuana, 11.6 grams of black tar heroin, .6 grams of power cocaine, and 4.7 grams of crystal methamphetamine were recovered.
The Santa Cruz County Anti Crime Team would ask anyone with information about this case to to call their crime tip line at 831-454-2320.
