SIMI VALLEY : 3 Men Arraigned on Heroin Charges
Three men arrested in a federal sting operation in Simi Valley were arraigned Thursday on charges of transporting 7 1/2 ounces of Mexican black tar heroin worth an estimated $200,000.
Felix Solis-Berrera, 21; Jose Solis-Berrera, 25, and Victor Delacruz, who all listed residences in Los Angeles, were arrested Tuesday in an undercover operation coordinated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA operation was the culmination of three months of work by agents from the DEA’s Santa Barbara office, said DEA spokesman Ralph Lochridge.
Tuesday’s arrest included five agents from the DEA and five police officers from the Simi Valley Police Department. “While this kind of arrest isn’t unusual for Ventura County, it is unusual for Simi Valley,” Lochridge said.
The three men appeared in Ventura County Municipal Court before Judge Art Gutierrez on the drug and weapons charges. The weapons charge could add an extra four years to their sentences, bringing them a possible maximum sentence of 10 years in jail, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Gregory G. Phillips.
“The only thing unusual about this case,” said Phillips, “is that these guys got caught with 7 1/2 ounces of black tar heroin.”
Judge Gutierrez set each of the defendants’ bail at $100,000 and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Oct. 21.
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