Division of Law Enforcement

FRESNO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Highway Patrol today announced the arrest of two suspects and the seizure of more than 45 pounds of illicit drugs, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, in Fresno County. The arrest is the result of an initial CHP traffic stop on September 21, 2023, and subsequent investigation by California Department of Justice’s High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT). The suspects, who were operating the vehicle without drivers’ licenses, are alleged to have been transporting the narcotics from Oakland to Los Angeles. The CHP officers and DOJ agents identified 43 pounds of methamphetamine and 2.5 pounds of illicit fentanyl that had been hidden in various areas inside the vehicle. The case was referred to the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

“Throughout the state, the California Department of Justice and our allied partners are working together to prevent illicit and dangerous drugs from entering our communities,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Together we have made hundreds of arrests and seized thousands of pounds of narcotics. These arrests and seizures should send a clear message: We will not tolerate the transport and sale of illegal narcotics within California. I want to thank our teams and our law enforcement partners across the state; there are countless lives being saved as a result of their important and difficult work.”

The High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT) is a California DOJ Bureau of Investigation-led multiagency task force, federally funded through the national High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. It is comprised of members from the California Department of Justice, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation-Special Services Unit, Fresno County Sheriff's Office, Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno Police Department, Fresno County District Attorney's Office, California Highway Patrol, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. As part of DOJ’s task force program, the participating agencies of HIIT work in collaboration to combat drug trafficking organizations, violent career criminals and gangs. These unique and essential teams use the latest technology and advanced investigative techniques and work alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement to enhance investigations into violent criminals and organized crime throughout the state.

It is important to note that a criminal complaint contains charges that are only allegations against a person. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.

 Attorney General Bonta continues DOJ’s work with local, state, and federal partners to: 

• End the fentanyl crisis through efforts with state and local law partners, securing ongoing funding for DOJ fentanyl enforcement, operations to remove fentanyl from California communities including in Placer, Merced, Fresno, and Orange Counties, and legal actions to hold manufacturers and distributors accountable. Since April 2022, DOJ fentanyl seizures totaled approximately 9,348,852 fentanyl pills seized, 1,213 pounds of powder seized, and over 200 arrests.
• Prevent gun violence through the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, operations to get guns out of the hands of prohibited persons; and legislation to strengthen California laws and the hold the firearm industry accountable.
• Take down human trafficking rings in San Diego, Kings County, and throughout California, and launching Human Trafficking and Sexual Predator Apprehension Teams within the DOJ. To date, the teams have arrested approximately 649 traffickers and assisted or supported 650 victims in operations throughout the state.
• Combat retail theft by securing felony sentencing in one of the largest organized retail theft operations ever busted in California history, announcing felony charges against members of a statewide organized retail theft ring, filing charges in operations involving thefts of Home Depot, Apple stores, and Microsoft, by bringing law enforcement and retailers together to address this problem head-on, and creating better communication and information-sharing with retailers and online marketplaces.
• Dismantle gangs and protect neighborhoods in Fresno, Riverside, Sacramento,  San Bernardino, Stockton, Visalia, and Yuba City.
• Work together with the community to find public safety solutions in Stockton and San Diego.
• Protect elders from abuse and neglect by prosecuting bad actors who steal, defraud, or harm and abuse our elders.  

The California Department of Justice is hiring. Visit oag.ca.gov/careers to view available positions and learn how you can help DOJ protect the health, well-being, and public safety of Californians.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a bulletin to California local law enforcement agencies reminding them of their obligations under state law to enact policies and procedures to help improve reporting, enforcement, and education regarding crimes against seniors and persons with disabilities. Although seniors and persons with disabilities are more likely to be victims of serious crimes, these crimes have been historically underreported. To better address this challenge, in 2019, California enacted Senate Bill 338, The Senior and Disability Justice Act (SB 338) to encourage local law enforcement agencies to adopt comprehensive policies to improve reporting and investigations of disability and elder abuse. Attorney General Bonta’s advisory reminds these agencies of the requirements under SB 338 and urges each of them to reach compliance as soon as possible to protect the safety of seniors and persons with disabilities statewide.

“Law enforcement has a legal and moral obligation to do all they can to ensure that the rights of seniors and people with disabilities are protected,” said Attorney General Bonta. “When crimes go unreported or are improperly documented, these crimes and their victims remain in the dark. We must provide these victims with the accountability and the justice that they are entitled to. I urge all agencies to review their policies to ensure they are consistent with SB 338 and recognize seniors’ and people with disabilities’ equal protections under the law.”

People with disabilities, including disabilities caused by advanced age, are more likely to be victims of serious crimes, such as abuse, sexual assault, hate crimes, domestic violence, and human trafficking. Nationally, people with disabilities are at least 3.4 times more likely to be victimized by violent crimes than people without disabilities. People with cognitive disabilities — including intellectual disabilities and dementia— are even more likely to be victims of violent crime, at 5.5 times the rate of people without disabilities. This is especially concerning in California, where the number of seniors and people with disabilities are rapidly increasing.

In 2019, California enacted SB 338 to draw attention to the wide extent of crimes against seniors and people with disabilities; reinforce that these acts are crimes, not merely civil matters; and strongly encourage every local law enforcement agency to adopt a comprehensive policy concerning these crimes, including effective, accountable, and locally developed protocols for carrying out the agency’s existing responsibilities.

Despite their prevalence, crimes against seniors and persons with disabilities continue to be underreported. For example, while 40,000 anti-disability hate crimes were estimated to have occurred nationally in 2017, California law enforcement agencies reported just four such incidents in 2017 and seven incidents in 2018. Moreover, even when senior and disability victimization is reported, the response by law enforcement may be inadequate. For example, one survey of crime victims with disabilities found that perpetrators were arrested just less than 10% of the time. The majority of victims— nearly 53%—reported that nothing happened after they reported abuse to the authorities.

The bulletin, issued by the California Department of Justice’s Division of Law Enforcement outlines that municipal police or county sheriffs’ departments that adopt or revise a policy regarding elder and dependent adult abuse or senior and disability victimization on or after April 13, 2021, must include the 28 items stated in Penal Code section 368.6, subdivision (c). The items provide clear definitions and information on the wide prevalence of crimes against seniors and people with disabilities. The legislation also requires including provisions related to extensive training on senior and disability victimization, a requirement that officers investigate every report of senior and disability victimization, detailed protocols for handling these crimes, and provisions regarding outreach to the senior and disability communities to encourage reporting and prevention of these crimes.

The bulletin may be viewed here.