Operation Meltdown arrests
Placer County Sheriff's Office

The Placer County Special Operations Unit executed a major drug trafficking takedown, resulting in the arrests of 17 people.

The investigation began in the Summer of 2025 and focused on a large-scale drug trafficking network operating primarily out of Sacramento and supplying drugs into Placer County.

On Thursday, warrants were executed at 25 locations across Sacramento County, the City of Sacramento, Placer County, and Elk Grove. According to the Placer County Sheriff's Office, the organization included suspects who were affiliated with a Mexican drug trafficking operation as well as suspects connected to two Sacramento area gangs.

Seventeen suspects were arrested and transported to the Placer County Jail: 

  • Esteban Ortega, 39
  • Loc Dinh, 33
  • Robert Stewart, 61
  • Junior Mai, 27
  • Alejandro Herrera, 41
  • Kevin Berry, 51
  • Laeilia Leffler, 42
  • Michael Elliot, 41
  • Julian Montano, 32
  • Joe Saetern, 28
  • Shawnray Shermer, 35
  • Theodore St. Andre, 41
  • Thomas Wood, 55
  • Don Wedgeworth, 82
  • Carl Spinella, 55
  • Joshua Seaphanh, 19
  • Jennifer Lowry, 46

All will be charged through the Placer County District Attorney’s Office.

During the operation, law enforcement seized: 

  • 65 Pounds of Meth
  • 7.25 Kilos of Cocaine
  • ½ Pound of Molly
  • 26 Firearms
  • $100k+ in Cash
  • 1 DMT Lab

It's estimated the network distributed approximately 500 pounds of methamphetamine monthly throughout Sacramento and Placer County.

Operation Meltdown was a coordinated effort involving multiple law enforcement agencies including: 

  • Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office
  • Sacramento Police Department
  • Citrus Heights PD
  • Folsom Police Department
  • West Sacramento Police Department
  • CA Corrections
  • ATF
  • FBI - Sacramento
  • California Department of Justice
  • City of Roseville, California Police Department
  • Placer County District Attorney's Office
  • Rocklin Police Department
  • Auburn Police Department 
  • Placer Regional Auto Theft Task Force
  • Western Nevada Enforcement Team
  • Sacramento Auto Theft Task Force
  • Trident Unit (Placer County DA’s Office)
  • Placer Special Investigations Unit
  • Woodland Police Department