THOUSAND OAKS : Oxnard Man Suspect in Drug Trafficking
A joint investigation by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI in Thousand Oaks has led to the arrest of an Oxnard man on drug trafficking charges.
Guillermo Garate Jr., 24, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of selling cocaine, possession of various illegal drugs and possession of a sawed-off shotgun.
He remained in the Ventura County Jail on Thursday evening on $100,000 bail.
The two-month investigation began with information that Garate had been trafficking cocaine in Ventura County, police said. Acting on a warrant, Thousand Oaks narcotics detectives searched Garate’s apartment in the 500 block of West Vineyard Avenue at 10:45 p.m. Wednesday. They reported seizure of about 10 ounces of cocaine, an ounce of rock cocaine, an ounce of methamphetamine, marijuana packaged for sale, a sawed-off .12-gauge shotgun and two loaded handguns.
Detectives estimated the street value of the drugs at $34,000.
Garate has a prior felony conviction for possession for sale of narcotics, authorities reported.
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