Siskiyou County’s new Domestic Highway Enforcement team makes 11 lb cocaine bust on second day of operations
SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif., — Members of a new multi-agency drug enforcement team in Siskiyou County which began operations on Feb. 1 were excited to announce their first significant seizure and arrest just two days later, after a traffic stop for a minor vehicle code violation led to the discovery of eleven pounds of cocaine late last week.
The Thursday, Feb. 3 drug seizure was made by members of Siskiyou County’s new Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) team who were patrolling the I-5 corridor, according to Siskiyou County Sheriff’s officials. The team was implemented by SCSO Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue in an effort to crack down on drug trafficking and other drug-related offenses along Interstate 5.
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DHE members were patrolling the I-5 corridor through Siskiyou County when one of the participating officials from the Lake Shastina Police Department observed a minor vehicle code violation on a silver Chrysler 300, according to Siskiyou County Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Jacobson, who today shared details about the County’s newest team.
A traffic enforcement stop conducted by members of Siskiyou County’s newly formed Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) team led to the seizure of around eleven pounds of cocaine just two days after the new team’s implementation. Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office photos
After contacting the driver, Mario Antonio Olivares, 23, of Santa Clara, and his 17-year-old brother, DHE members conducted a search of the Chrysler, at which time they discovered a plastic painter’s bucket that appeared to be filled with all-purpose joint compound.
Upon further inspection, officials discovered approximately eleven pounds of cocaine, at which time they arrested the driver.
He was later booked into Siskiyou County Jail on suspicion of possession of narcotics for sales and transportation of a controlled substance for sales. Online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail or bond.
Olivares’ brother was placed in Child Protective Services’ custody.
“Something like last Thursday’s seizure and arrest, especially being on the team’s second day of operation, is a great testament to the dedication of our members,” Jacobson said in praise of the recent bust.
“I think the trafficking that goes on in our county along the I-5 corridor is something that not a lot of people know about, but I think this team is definitely something needed in this county,” he continued.
“It’s important for area residents to know that we are out there and being proactive,” he explained; adding, “We’re doing those enforcement stops and we’re getting a lot of the guns and drugs off our streets and out of our community.”
Jacobson went on to say that although the team currently consists of deputies and officers from the Siskiyou Sheriff’s Department and Lake Shastina Police Department, plans to expand the team to include other nearby agencies that serve communities along the I-5 corridor are already being pursued.
Anyone with information about suspected drug trafficking along the I-5 corridor through Siskiyou County is encouraged to contact the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 841-2900. Callers can remain anonymous.
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Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.