Last month, detectives conducted a general enforcement operation in unincorporated Auburn that resulted in the arrest of two people on drug charges.Â
The operation is funded by the grant the sheriff's office received from CaliforniaABC.
During the operation, detectives observed a vehicle leave a convenience store in the Bowman area. The vehicle nearly collided with the detectives’ vehicle and a traffic stop was initiated.
The driver and passenger were contacted and one of the detectives observed an open bottle of alcohol in the passenger compartment.
During a search of the passenger, detectives found suspected Oxycodone pills and drug paraphernalia. During the investigation, detectives also learned the driver had provided them with a false name; when detectives identified him, they found he had multiple outstanding arrest warrants.
The driver was also found to have smuggled suspected fentanyl into the jail after his arrest.
The driver, 46-year-old Mark Venegas of Citrus Heights, was arrested for possession of narcotics, bringing a controlled substance into a correctional facility, providing false information to a peace officer, and his multiple outstanding warrants.
The passenger, 25-year-old Jose Gutierrez of Sacramento, was arrested for possession of narcotics.
