Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : 2 Sisters Arrested in Alleged Drug Ring Bust

Two Canyon Country women were among 19 people arrested on suspicion of affiliation with a major heroin ring based in the Midwest, authorities said Wednesday.

The ring apparently imported the drug into California and then shipped it to Des Moines, Iowa; Omaha; Denver and possibly other cities, said Lt. Joe Davitt of the Omaha Police Department.

Anna Padilla-Pena, 35, and her sister, Anjelica, 23, were arrested by FBI and Santa Clarita Valley sheriff’s deputies at their Canyon Country home Monday on suspicion of conspiracy to distribute heroin, said FBI spokesman John Hoos. Both are Mexican citizens and are in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles while authorities determine if they will be extradited to Nebraska.

Ten other people were arrested in Omaha on Monday and one was arrested in Des Moines on Tuesday, Davitt said. Six additional people were also arrested during a four-month investigation into the alleged drug ring.

Two of the arrests were for immigration-related charges, according to an Omaha Police Department report. Authorities believe some of the other suspects may also be illegal residents using false names.

Davitt declined to state how much heroin was involved, but called it a sizable bust for the Omaha area.

“We have never done one this large for heroin as far as I am aware of, at least in recent times,” Davitt said. He added that the investigation is continuing and more arrests are possible.

He said that 20 officers from seven law enforcement agencies worked full-time on the case.