5 Arrested in Newbury Park Cocaine Seizure

A three-week undercover investigation by narcotics detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department has led to the arrest of five Newbury Park residents suspected of dealing rock cocaine in the area, authorities said Wednesday.

Detectives seized 400 pieces of rock cocaine valued at $10,000, the largest amount of rock cocaine the department has seized in Thousand Oaks, said Sgt. Gary Pentis of the East Valley narcotics unit.

The arrests were made late Tuesday after undercover detectives witnessed the delivery and sale of the drugs from one suspect’s home, the deputies’ report said. Detectives witnessed suspected buyers go from the residence to a nearby alley to smoke the rock or crack cocaine, the report said.

Undercover agents then made drug purchases from one of the suspects and used information from the drug buy and the surveillance to obtain search warrants for two homes where the 400 pieces of rock cocaine were found, the report said.

Arrested were Alejandro Rodriguez, 24; Alice Garcia, 26; Jorge Arjon, 25; Alma Martinez, 23, and Jose Hernandez, 22. All were booked into the East Valley Jail, deputies said.