South County pot busts net 12 arrests

During the week of Oct. 14, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department served multiple search warrants at various locations throughout Southern Tulare County. The unrelated searches yielded more than 160 pounds of processed marijuana, more than 400 marijuana plants, and 12 arrests, the Sheriff’s Department reports.

On Tuesday, the department assisted the California Highway Patrol in a traffic stop. The vehicle reportedly contained trash bags containing more than 56 pounds of processed marijuana. The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Christian Hernandez of Arvin, was arrested and taken into custody.

On Wednesday, detectives served a search warrant at a home in the 17800 block of Avenue 128 in Porterville, where they eradicated more than 98 plants and seized more than 100 pounds of processed and partially processed marijuana.  

The following five people were arrested: Porterville residents Eduardo Camacho Rubio, 49 and Raul Valdez, 49 and Terry John Bryant, 50 of Washington, Ruben Vasquez, 38 of Bellflower, and Aristeo Saabedera, 25 of San Fernando.

On Wednesday, detectives also served a search warrant at a home in the 500 block of South Ruth in Porterville. They eradicated more than 50 plants and seized more than 10 pounds of processed marijuana.  

The Sheriff’s Department reports that children were in the home and there was also one subject who was “bedridden.”  

Arrested were Porterville residents Spencer Brown, 27 and Sharon Cuellar, 52.

Also on Wednesday, deputies responded to the 600 block of South Sunset in Porterville regarding suspicious persons who were reportedly seen loading marijuana into the rear of two pick-up trucks.

As deputies responded, they saw the two suspect vehicles leaving the area.

Deputies stopped both vehicles and located approximately 285 marijuana plants. The marijuana had already been dried and partially processed.

Deputies located the harvested grow site abandoned at the rear of a home located on South Sunset.

The following Porterville residents were taken into custody on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana, transportation of marijuana and resisting arrest: Felix Refugio Castro, 53, Castro Garcia Regulo, 42, Jose Cano-Gutierrez, 27, and Fernando Castellanos-Gutierrez, 23.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, on average, the street value for processed marijuana can range from $1,000 per pound if purchased in California, to $4,000 per pound if sold out of state.