Shotguns, Drugs Found on Visitors to Jail; 11 Arrested

An intensive search operation by sheriff’s deputies at an East Los Angeles jail Saturday night ended with the arrests of 11 people who carried in concealed shotguns, pistols, drugs and narcotics paraphernalia during visits with inmates, department officials said Sunday.

Sgt. Terry Judge said that nine men and two boys were arrested in the spot crackdown at the Biscailuz Center conducted by the sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau. He said that two shotguns, two pistols and “miscellaneous amounts” of rock cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and alcohol were confiscated. The 11 suspects were not identified by name.

“Why anybody would bring a shotgun or drugs when visiting someone in jail is beyond me,” Judge said, “but for anybody to bring any contraband in is not a wise move.”

Felony Offenses

Felony charges will be filed against the 11 individuals, according to department officials. Warnings posted at county jails advise that it is a felony to bring in firearms, drugs or alcohol and that visitors are subject to search.

Judge said there was no specific reason that the medium-security jail at 1060 N. Eastern Ave. was the target of the Special Enforcement Bureau during the 6-to-7-p.m. visiting hour. “It was just a random thing that they do at facilities where visitors have contact with the inmates,” he said, adding that it was not known whether any of those arrested was suspected of gang membership.

“There was nothing at the jail to make us believe that there was anything out of the ordinary,” Judge said. “The only speculation, as to why anybody would try to bring a shotgun or a pistol in a jail, is that maybe they were trying to pass it on to a gang member or someone who felt that they needed protection. But we don’t know if the was the case here.

“The reason that there was so much contraband confiscated may just have had to do with more deputies than usual on hand to do the searches. But I’m not at all surprised to see so much stuff confiscated, when you consider that we have more than 20,000 inmates in our system, and so many people visiting them.”