Police: Four arrested in connection with Santa Rosa heroin operation

Four men were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of transporting and distributing large quantities of heroin in the Santa Rosa area, police said.

Officers seized more than 5 pounds of heroin, 2 ounces of cocaine, and more than an ounce of methamphetamine from homes in Santa Rosa and Vallejo, police said. They also found more than $40,000 in cash and a loaded firearm.

Vallejo residents Andres Camacho-Jaurrieta, 26, and Julio Cesar Cordova-Gonzalez, 25, were arrested, along with Jafet Morales Camacho, 20, and Ramon Santacruz-Alejandres, 22, of Santa Rosa.

Santa Rosa police officials said their narcotics unit began looking into the drug-trafficking operation in April.

Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Brian Boettger said it’s not clear where the drugs originated from, but detectives believe the drug operation had been active for the past year.

He said police have seen in recent years an increase in ?“lower-end workers in drug organizations” commuting into the county from the greater Bay Area to distribute drugs, he said. That makes investigating cases more drawn out than in the past, when distributors lived and worked locally, Boettger said.

“We’ve seen these distributors commuting in to deal the drugs,” he said. “It just extends our investigations.”

On Wednesday, detectives followed Camacho-Jaurrieta as he drove from his Griffin Drive home in Vallejo to Santa Rosa. They pulled him over around ?11 a.m. in the lot of a Rohnert Park business park, where detectives arrested him after finding about a pound of heroin, police said.

An hour later, Vallejo police, aided by Santa Rosa detectives, served a warrant at the man’s home, but found no additional contraband.

Officers then served a second warrant at a Nebraska Street apartment in Vallejo, where they found nearly 4 pounds of heroin and more than $40,000 in cash, police said.

Cordova-Gonzalez lived at the apartment, Boettger said.

Police said the cash and most of the heroin was hidden inside a wall behind the kitchen cabinet. Packaging materials, scales and other items related to drug distribution were also found in the house, officials said.

Morales Camacho was arrested shortly after leaving his Clover Drive home in Santa Rosa.

Police said they found him in possession of several items related to drug sales.

Officers then served a warrant at his home, where they arrested Santacruz-Alejandres, who was working on his car in the driveway. He had a loaded revolver within arm’s reach on the driver’s side floor, Boettger said.

Police said they found inside the house more than 2 ounces of cocaine, about an ounce of methamphetamine, several pounds of processed marijuana, hash oil, several canisters of butane and several razor blades.

Morales Camacho’s younger sister, 11, lived in the house and was released to family members, police said.

Santacruz-Alejandres also lived in the house and was dating the girl’s mother, who was not home, Boettger said.

All four men were booked into Sonoma County Jail.

Cordova-Gonzalez was booked on suspicion of possessing heroin for sale, while Camacho-Jaurrieta faces charges of transporting and selling heroin.

Morales Camacho was booked on suspicion of possessing cocaine for sale and child endangerment. Santacruz-Alejandres faces charges of possessing methamphetamine for sale, armed while dealing narcotics and child endangerment.

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. Reach Hannah Beausang at 707-521-5214.