SAN FRANCISCO—On Tuesday, August 3, the San Francisco Police Department announced that they seized over eight pounds of narcotics from multiple drug houses in Oakland.
During an ongoing investigation into narcotics trafficking, members of the SFPD Narcotics Unit identified suspects and vehicles involved in the transportation and sales of illicit narcotics in the City and County of San Francisco.
On July 29, investigators were conducting surveillance when they observed the suspect vehicle drive into San Francisco. With the help of SFPD Drone as First Responder (DFR), the drone operator officer was able to continue tracking the vehicle and observed five subjects exit the vehicle and board a Muni bus in the area of 2nd and Mission Streets.
Multiple officers boarded the Muni bus and detained all five subjects for the investigation. Upon a search of the subjects, officers located narcotics and evidence linked to narcotics sales. Officers seized all evidence and placed all subjects under arrest.
Following the arrests, officers assigned to the Narcotics Unit, the Drug Market Agency Coordination Center (DMACC), along with the SF Sheriff’s Office and SFPD K-9 Dea and SFPD K-9 Stormy, executed search warrants at four different residences in Oakland connected to the suspects. Investigators seized over 8 pounds of narcotics along with narcotics packaging equipment, packaging supplies, one rifle, one shotgun, two handguns, body armor, ammunition, over $10,000 in cash, digital scales, and money counters. All evidence was seized for the investigation.
“Keeping dangerous drugs from coming to San Francisco has been SFPD’s top priority,” said Police Chief Derrick Lew. “The SFPD will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable and to keep our neighborhoods safe. SFPD officers will continue to be relentlessly enforcing the law, making arrests, and doing all we can to continue the progress we have made together.”
The suspects were identified as:
-Wilmer Mendez-Raudales, 19, of Oakland
-Francisco Cruz, 26, of Oakland
-Eduardo Linares, 33, of Oakland
-Nestor Quinonez-Cubas, 21, of Oakland
-Nestor Reyes-Palma, 22, of Oakland
During the investigation, officers learned that one of the suspects was a convicted felon and that two of the suspects had open court cases in the City and County of San Francisco. All suspects were transported to San Francisco County Jail and booked on their charges.
Mendez-Raudales was booked for possession for sale of controlled substance (11351 HS), operating or maintaining a drug house (11366 HS), criminal conspiracy (182(a)(1) PC), transportation or sale of controlled substances (11352 HS), drug enhancements (11370.4 HS), receiving stolen property (496(a) PC), felony while on bail or release (12.022.1(a) PC).
Cruz was booked for possession for sale of controlled substance (11351 HS), operating or maintaining a drug house (11366 HS), criminal conspiracy (182(a)(1) PC), transportation or sale of controlled substances (11352 HS), drug enhancements (11370.4 HS), receiving stolen property (496(a) PC), felony while on bail or release (12.022.1(a) PC).
Linares was booked for possession for sale of controlled substance (11351 HS), operating or maintaining a drug house (11366 HS), criminal conspiracy (182(a)(1) PC), transportation or sale of controlled substances (11352 HS), drug enhancements (11370.4 HS), receiving stolen property (496(a) PC), felon in possession of a firearm (29800(a) PC).
Quinonez-Cubas was booked for possession for sale of controlled substance (11351 HS), operating or maintaining a drug house (11366 HS), criminal conspiracy (182(a)(1) PC), transportation or sale of controlled substances (11352 HS), drug enhancements (11370.4 HS), receiving stolen property (496(a) PC).
Reyes-Palma was booked for possession for sale of controlled substance (11351 HS), operating or maintaining a drug house (11366 HS), criminal conspiracy (182(a)(1) PC), transportation or sale of controlled substances (11352 HS), drug enhancements (11370.4 HS), receiving stolen property (496(a) PC).
The SFPD is still investigating the case. Anyone with details should call the SFPD at 1-415-575-4444 (opens in a new window) or Text-A-Tip to TIP411 (opens in a new window), beginning your message with “SFPD.”
