$1M worth of drugs seized, 13 arrested in Tulare County meth trafficking operation

TULARE, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Tulare County Sheriff's Office says it worked with nine other law enforcement agencies to seize more than a $1 million worth of drugs on Monday, resulting in 13 arrests.

The operation targeted members of a drug trafficking organization based in Tulare County.

The investigation led to the discovery of three meth labs. Authorities say the labs were destroyed, and the meth was seized.

The sheriff's office drug trafficking division, in coordination with the other agencies, served a warrant and said they seized a total of 1,146.17 pounds of meth, 1.3 kg of Cocaine, 1.69 kg of Heroin, 79 pounds of marijuana, 22 guns and $11,000 in cash.

This operation comes just two weeks after Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said drug trafficking is largely to blame for a spike in violence in Tulare County.

Tulare County residents on high alert amid recent string of violence

In the last week, four people have died, including a 15-year-old, and at least seven people are in the hospital after shootings across Tulare County.

They made 13 arrests in the operation. The suspects' ages range from 23 to 60, and they are from the Tulare, Coalinga, Porterville, and Alpaugh areas.

Detectives say they are still searching for two suspects, 39-year-old Raudel Corrales Ayon and 36-year-old Leonel Robles Meraz.

The department said the suspects listed below face a variety of drug, weapons, and conspiracy charges.

23-year old Oscar Contreras

50-year-old Antonio Alvarado Pulido

51-year-old Angel Sanchez

50-year-old Alma Gonzalez

32-year-old Jose Luis Felix Ochoa

60-year-old Michael Scott Ackerman

24-year-old Gabriel Sicairos Leon

47-year-old Vickie Sanchez

24-year-old Juan Carlos Ruiz Jr.

30-year-old Javier Lopez

30-year-old Sostenes Quintero

36-year-old Yurico Ayon

60-year-old Monico Ayon Fernandez.