3 arrested after drugs and paraphernalia found in home
Three people were arrested early Friday morning by members of the Yuma County Narcotics Task Force (YCNTF), after a search warrant served at their residence led to the discovery of a shotgun, marijuana and other products consistent with drug sales.
According to Yuma County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Alfonso Zavala, the search warrant was executed at 6:38 a.m. at a residence in the 2000 block of South 7th Avenue in Yuma.
He added that the residence is within a drug-free school zone due to being in close proximity to two schools. There are also bus stops nearby.
“This was a significant arrest and great for the residents of Yuma County because these were taken off the street and won’t be going into the community,” Zavala said.
When YCNTF members searched the house, with assistance from YCSO K-9 “Jax,” they found approximately 12.32 pounds of marijuana, which had an estimated street value of more than $167,000, and 3.55 pounds of marijuana edibles, which is believed to be worth and estimated $32,168.
YCNTF members also recovered 28.8 grams of THC wax with, an estimated street value of $1,440, 46 grams of THC oil with an estimated street value of $2,300, and additional drug paraphernalia items consistent with narcotic sales. A loaded shotgun was also discovered.
Zavala said during the course of the investigation, task force members it was learned the suspect of the search warrant, 21-year-old Adrian Humberto Alvarez, of Yuma, had allegedly been shipping boxes of bulk marijuana and THC oils and waxes to other states in the United States.
“They were packaging bulk amounts of drugs and shipping them to buyers in other states through a large private delivery company,” Zavala said.
He added that the task force began an investigation into Alvarez after being alerted to the shipments, which ultimately led to the search warrant being executed at his residence.
Alvarez was arrested and booked into the Yuma County Detention Center for possession of a narcotic drug for sale, transportation of a narcotic drug, possession of a narcotic drug, possession of marijuana for sale, transportation of marijuana, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of narcotics in a drug free school zone, possession of a weapon during a drug offense, and child abuse.
Also arrested was Jose Ignacio Ramirez Jr., 20, of Yuma, who was found to have reportedly shipped at least one package containing about 2.36 pounds of marijuana, with an approximate street value of $32,100, along with THC wax and oils at a local shipping facility.
A third person, Jasmine Navarro, 22, also of Yuma, was also arrested after being identified as a co-conspirator involved in the transportation and sales of the marijuana.
Navarro was booked into the Yuma County Detention Center for possession of a narcotic drug for sale, transportation of a narcotic drug, possession of a narcotic drug, possession of marijuana for sale, transportation of marijuana, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of narcotics in a drug free school zone, possession of a weapon during a drug offense, and child abuse.
Ramirez was booked into the Yuma County Detention Center for possession of a narcotic drug for sale, transportation of a narcotic drug, possession of a narcotic drug, possession of marijuana for sale, transportation of marijuana, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Alvarez, Ramirez, and Navarro all live at the same residence.
The YCNTF is a multiagency task force comprised of officers and agents from the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, the Yuma Police Department, the Somerton Police Department, the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.
Friday’s search warrant was served with the assistance of additional sheriff’s office deputies, HSI Agents and members of the Arizona Vehicle Theft Task Force (RATTLER).