On Monday, July 13th, 2020, at approximately 4:50 p.m., special agents with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force, with the assistance from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, conducted two traffic stops in the Southern Humboldt area according to a Humboldt County Drug Task Force press release.
Through the previous investigation, agents received information that local resident, 40 year old Angelica Maria Vega of Fortuna, was going to meet unknown subjects from a Drug Trafficking Organization based out of Southern California and Mexico. The Humboldt County Drug Task Force had been investigating this Drug Trafficking Organization for several months and seized multiple pounds of heroin from this organization.
Agents watched Vega meet with the Drug Trafficking Organization associates and after a brief interaction, Vega proceeded northbound on Highway 101 where agents continued to follow her. Eventually, the Humboldt County Drug Task Force agents conducted a traffic stop on Vega.
Pursuant to Vega’s probation terms, and from observations of narcotics seen in plain view, agents searched Vega’s vehicle. Agents located approximately 2.5 pounds of suspected heroin packaged for sales. Vega was subsequently placed under arrest and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for the transportation of controlled substances.
Shortly after Vega met with the Drug Trafficking Organization associates, Humboldt County Sheriff’s patrol deputies contacted the Drug Trafficking Organization subjects in a State Park day use area.
The newly hired Humboldt County Drug Task Force narcotics detection K-9, “Bodhi”, was deployed and alerted to the presence of narcotics within one of the vehicles. An additional 6 pounds of suspected heroin was located as well as approximately $4,000 in U.S. currency. This currency is believed to be profits from narcotics sales and was seized pending future asset forfeiture proceedings.
Upon police contact, the Drug Trafficking Organization subjects were identified as 21 year old Guillermo Padilla from Coachella, California, 24 year old Kaina Galdamez from Indio, California and 27 year old Edgar Melgar-Zamora Sinaloa, Mexico. All three subjects were cooperative and explained to agents they had just traveled from Southern California to deliver narcotics.
For officer and community safety concerns regarding COVID-19, agents elected to release these subjects and will forward their report to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
