On Tuesday, May 12th, special agents with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force, with assistance from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, conducted a traffic stop. Agents had obtained a search warrant for a vehicle being driven by 41-year-old Rafaela Castillo-Ramirez from Sinaloa, Mexico. After a multi-week investigation, agents learned that Castillo-Ramirez is employed by a Drug Trafficking Organization operating out of Bakersfield, California.
Castillo-Ramirez was detained without incident. Agents searched her vehicle and located a false compartment under the rear seat. Inside the false compartment agents located approximately 5 pounds of suspected heroin packaged for sales. Humboldt County Drug Task Force estimates the local street value of this substance to exceed $224,000.
Castillo-Ramirez was subsequently placed under arrest and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of Possession and transportation of controlled substances for sales, False compartment within motor vehicle, Violation of shelter in place order.
