Former California deputy suspected of working with Sinaloa cartel caught with over 100lbs of fentanyl

While the Drug Enforcement Agency did not refer to 25-year-old Jorge Oceguera-Rocha by name in its April 25 press release announcing the successful bust of numerous cartel members across the United States, it listed a "corrupt" deputy from Riverside County as being among those suspected of facilitating the transport of fentanyl.

"During the course of the investigation, agents developed information regarding a corrupt Riverside County Correctional Deputy," the agency stated. "The DEA and Riverside Police provided investigative leads to the Riverside County Sheriff Department, ultimately assisting in the arrest of the deputy while he was in possession of 104 pounds of fentanyl pills."

As the Press-Enterprise reports, Riverside law enforcement spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback admitted that Oceguera-Rocha and the suspect in the DEA release were the same person. The sheriff’s office said he played a "pivotal role of trafficking large quantities of narcotics within Riverside County while off duty." Capt. Rob Roggeveen of the department stated, “We are doing everything in our investigative capabilities to ensure we dismantle the drug trafficking organization Oceguera is affiliated with."

Oceguera-Rocha was taken into custody on September 17 after police pulled him over on Freeway 10 in Calimesa. He was found to have been allegedly carrying 104 pounds of fentanyl pills and a firearm, and was subsequently charged with possession of narcotics, transportation with the intent to distribute narcotics, weight enhancements for the narcotics and possession of a firearm while in possession of narcotics. He pleaded not guilty.

The DEA's "Operation Hotline Bling" resulted in 15 arrests and the seizure of "approximately 376 pounds of methamphetamine, 37.4 pounds of fentanyl, 600,000 fentanyl tablets, 1.4 kilograms of cocaine, and seven firearms."