During the month of December 2022, detectives from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Street Team developed information regarding a subject distributing fentanyl in Oxnard. During the ensuing investigation, detectives learned that Adolfo Palazuelos a 31-year-old man from Oxnard, was allegedly selling fentanyl from his residence located in the 100 Block of East 7th Street in Oxnard. Palazuelos also had a felony warrant for a violation of his Post Release Offender Supervision conditions for a previous felony conviction. Additionally, detectives developed information Palazuelos was allegedly concealing bulk quantities of narcotics in a nearby garage.
On May 18, 2023, Narcotics Detectives detained Palazuelos pursuant to a search warrant outside his residence. During the execution of the search warrant of Palazeulos’ person, residence and nearby garage; Narcotics Detectives seized over thirteen ounces of fentanyl, eleven ounces of methamphetamine, two handguns, a shotgun and a large amount of money of suspected drug proceeds. The total amount of fentanyl seized during this arrest was approximately 14 ounces, which equates to approximately 9,000 doses. As a point of reference, ingesting as little as .25 milligrams of fentanyl could be a fatal amount. This equates to just this one seizure having the potential to kill over a million people.
Based on the investigation, Palazuelos was arrested and booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility on various narcotics and weapon charges.
Ventura County, much like the rest of the United States, is dealing with an opioid related overdose epidemic. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Narcotics Units have focused their efforts in combatting the spread of these illicit narcotics by targeting the supply chain of individuals and criminal organizations responsible for the sales of these drugs into Ventura County. They are actively work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to stem the tide of this epidemic.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is an active member of the County Opioid Abuse
Suppression Taskforce (COAST). They have partnered with Ventura County Behavioral Health in a campaign to reduce overdoses and educate the public about the dangers of opioids and other drugs. Comprehensive information can be found at www.VenturaCountyResponds.org.