Santa Paula : 8 Held in 2-County Cocaine Sales Raid

Narcotics officers arrested eight people and seized almost 6 pounds of cocaine in a drug bust that began in Santa Paula and ended in Los Angeles County, authorities said Friday.

The arrests resulted from an investigation of two suspected Santa Paula drug dealers that was begun a month ago by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, Lt. Guy Inglis said.

The Santa Paula men delivered 2.2 pounds of cocaine, worth about $25,000, to an undercover narcotics agent in a parking lot at Palm Avenue and Harvard Boulevard Thursday about 3:45 p.m., Inglis said.

Jose Rodriguez, 40, and Ricardo Perez, 22, were arrested on suspicion of sales of cocaine and conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

They were being held on $100,000 bail each at Ventura County Jail, Inglis said.

Deputies then served a search warrant at Perez’s house in the 200 block of Ventura Street where they seized $500, a handgun and paperwork concerning drug sales, Inglis said.

Deputies served two more search warrants at houses in Los Angeles County, Inglis said.

At a house in Lynwood, law enforcement agents found paraphernalia that indicated drug sales were taking place, he said, and at a house in Paramount deputies found 3 1/2 pounds of cocaine and a handgun.

Six residents of the Paramount house were arrested.