TURLOCK, Calif. — A months-long investigation netted law enforcement 23 arrests, as well as the seizure of money, drugs and guns.
It started as a home invasion in unincorporated Turlock on March 17, 2020, and resulted in a long investigation into the Norteno criminal street gang. After detectives determined 26-year-old Adrian Ortiz was a suspect, they obtained a wiretap warrant for his phone and others involved. During the wiretap, detectives say they learned of upcoming drug deals, drug houses, how the gang would tax their members and even business owners in the area that the gang claimed: "belonged to them."
"This gave us a unique insight into how the gang was operating and how they were making money for the gang," Stanislaus County Sheriff's SIU Lt. Cook said in a press release. "The investigation led us to multiple residences where drugs were being sold, and search warrants at many of those locations resulted in the seizure of drugs, cash, and weapons."
Authorities served search warrants at 17 different places throughout the investigation, the most recent took place in December 2020 which included the arrest of 23 people. Detectives also seized 18 guns, more than $19,000 in cash, two pounds of methamphetamine, 786 marijuana plants, more than 19 pounds of processed marijuana, 4.8 grams of cocaine and nearly 300 prescription pills.
The joint operation included investigators from the Stanislaus Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Unit, the Turlock Police Department [TPD] and the Central Valley Gang Impact Task Force [CVGIT].
"TPD and CVGIT were a huge help in this large investigation. These gang members are not limited by jurisdiction, and we have been able to identify suspects that committed crimes in the city as well as the unincorporated areas of the county," Cook said.
The follow people were arrested in connection to the gang investigation:
- Adrian Ortiz (26, Turlock)
- Jean Betgeorge (50, Turlock)
- Victor Origel (60, Turlock)
- Armando Tirado (37, Modesto)
- Christopher Sanchez (29, Turlock)
- Joe Peres-Cacho (37, Keyes)
- Ivan Gonzalez-Velasquez (24, Turlock)
- Israel Beltran (29, Turlock)
- Fabian Beltran (33, Turlock)
- Yordy Gonzalez (21, Turlock)
- Alexandrea Garcia (33, Turlock)
- Jesse Mulgado (32, Turlock)
- Rosalva Garza (65, Turlock)
- Richard Benavides (38, Turlock)
- Andrew Padilla (33, Delhi)
- Adolfo Velasquez (44, Turlock)
- Damian Ceballos (18, Turlock)
- Marcos Murillo (33, Turlock)
- Manuel Maldonado (28, Turlock)
- Joshua Trimble (24, Turlock)
- Fernando Diaz (23, Modesto)
- Santos Nunez (27, Turlock)
- Fernando Baltazar (55, Turlock)
Not everyone involved with the drug arrests was a gang member, but the press release said they "with the gang members to grow, manufacture, and sell illegal drugs and prescription pills."
WATCH NEXT: Stockton's history of gang violence
Police in Stockton, California say the majority of the city's violent crime is gang-related, but some disagree. ABC10's Michael Anthony Adams took a closer look at the gang history in the city.
