Adriel Contreras and Maurisio Perez indicted in connection with transnational drug operation
LOS ANGELES (KEYT) – On Wednesday, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging two Oxnard men and a Mexican national with conducting a large-scale, transnational cocaine and methamphetamine distribution operation in Ventura County.
Both Oxnard residents, 33-year-old Adriel 'AD' Contreras and 26-year-old Maurisio Perez, pleaded not guilty to all charged counts during their arraignment on Tuesday shared the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Los Angeles Field Division (DEA) in a press release Wednesday.
A trial date for the duo has been set for Nov. 4 and if convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life added the DEA.
The third man mentioned in the federal indictment, 30-year-old Salvador Perez of Mexico, is believed to be in Mexico and was identified by local law enforcement as one of the largest drug traffickers in Ventura County detailed the DEA.
According to the DEA, intelligence gathered during the investigation indicates that the drug trafficking operation has direct ties to a cartel based out of Sinaloa, Mexico.
Investigators have discovered links to associates in New Zealand and Australia where were leveraged into shipping bulk quantities of cocaine and numerous packages associated with the scheme were identified by law enforcement and seized explained the DEA.
The DEA's Resident Office in Ventura alongside the Ventura County Sheriff's Office started their investigation into the drug trafficking operation in May of 2024, using information from the DEA's Orange County District Office Task Force Group 1 and the DEA Los Angeles Field Division Group 1 noted the DEA.
"When local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate effectively, it creates a powerful
force against drug-related harm in communities," explained Captain Matt Young of the Ventura County
Sheriff’s Office. "This teamwork can lead to better intelligence sharing, coordinated operations, and
resource pooling. Such synergy often results in dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, reducing availability of harmful substances, and ultimately improving community safety and health."
On Aug. 27, investigators executed search warrants at Perez's and Contreras' homes and four additional search warrants were conducted in Camarillo, Oxnard, and Woodland Hills stated the DEA.
Those warrants resulted in the seizure of about 19 kilograms (42 pounds) of cocaine, 1.8 kilograms (four pounds) of methamphetamine, $130,000 in cash, two shotguns, bulk quantities of ammunition, and high-capacity magazines detailed the DEA.
"This investigation underscores our unwavering dedication to protecting our communities from dangerous drugs and the violence propagated by these criminal enterprises," said Resident Agent in Charge for the DEA's Ventura Resident Office Ryan Olson. "We will ensure these drug criminals are brought to justice. I commend our hardworking investigators and our local partners for their steadfast collaboration and support."
