Suspects arrested, accused of smuggling narcotics into correctional facility
MORENO VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) - The Riverside County Sheriff's Office is continuing the crackdown on illegal drugs, including fentanyl, from entering the county's jail system.
In December 2024, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, Gang Intelligence Unit and Corrections Central Investigations Unit opened an investigation into inmates and members of the public smuggling narcotics into the Riverside County Sheriff’s jail system. During that investigation, members of the Gang Intelligence Unit stopped a fentanyl smuggling attempt.
Three suspects were identified who, working in concert, coordinated and attempted to smuggle fentanyl into the Cois Byrd Detention Center.
On Thursday, the Gang Intelligence Unit and Corrections Central Investigations Unit served two residential search warrants in the city of Moreno Valley with assistance from the Riverside Sheriff’s Alternative Sentencing Program and Corrections K-9 Team.
The search warrants resulted in the seizure of methamphetamine, items used in the smuggling operation, and evidence of credit and identity fraud. A 29 year old woman and a 41 year old man, both of Moreno Valley, were arrested, accused of a drug smuggling operation into a correctional facility.
Both suspects remain in jail and are due back in court on Monday.
The Sheriff's office encourages anyone with information about this investigation to contact Investigator Franklin Enochs at 951–955–7076 or C. Deputy Philip Diefenderfer at 951–696–3465.
