Santa Cruz drug busts taken over as federal fentanyl trafficking cases

SANTA CRUZ — Prosecutors have charged three men with federal crimes related to drug possession and distribution amid what the county sheriff is calling a local fentanyl health crisis.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California announced Wednesday its filings against Miguel Geronimo, 30, Jesus Nunez Martinez, 49, and Oscar Angel Alvarez, 28. The cases led to a joint street enforcement operation on July 11 that focused on the open-air fentanyl markets in the Santa Cruz area

The street operation, led by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration with operational assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Santa Cruz Police Department, led to the seizure of fentanyl, a ghost gun, ammunition and multiple arrests by state authorities of people possessing drugs for sale, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The new court filings come a little more than two months after Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart announced his formation of a new Fentanyl Crisis Response Team and delivered a message to drug purveyors that “we’re coming after you if you’re dealing fentanyl.” Santa Cruz County fatalities attributed to fentanyl overdoses increased from five in 2019 to 133 in 2023, according to county statistics.

By forming the task force and establishing relationships with state and federal agencies, Hart was quoted Wednesday in the U.S. Attorney’s Office press release saying his office was dedicated to “holding those who distribute this poison accountable.”

“This should serve as a message to those who are choosing to sell drugs in our community that we are not taking this lightly,” Hart said.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Geronimo around noon on May 1 on Coral Street in Santa Cruz in an area “known to be a common drug-trafficking area,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office filings. After observing multiple people entering and exiting a van in quick succession, detectives brought out their drug-sniffing K9 to indicate the presence of drugs in the van, according to the criminal complaint. Inside, detectives were said to have found about 86.6 grams of fentanyl, sales paraphernalia and more than $3,300 in cash. Geronimo is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Martinez Feb. 9 after a traffic stop, when a drug-sniffing K9 helped investigators allegedly locate a distributable amount of methamphetamine, sales paraphernalia and more than $750 in cash in the vehicle, according to the complaint. The issue was compounded when deputies again stopped Martinez March 29 for allegedly failing to stop at a stop sign and seized drugs, sales paraphernalia and more than $400 in cash. On this occasion, Martinez, who is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, carfentanil and methamphetamine, allegedly possessed a distributable amount of fentanyl and carfentanil, a fentanyl analog and synthetic opioid approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl, according to the complaint.

Martinez appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Virginia K. DeMarchi for the Northern District of California during a July 15 hearing in San Jose. The court ordered Martinez be detained until a detention hearing set for July 19.

Alvarez was arrested Feb. 5 on the 500 block of Water Street in Santa Cruz when a passing deputy saw him standing outside the main office of a motel wearing two backpacks, according to his complaint. A later search of Alvarez and the backpacks allegedly revealed more than 15 baggies of suspected drugs packaged for sales and more than $2,500 cash. Subsequent testing determined the bagged substances were more than 150 grams of fentanyl, more than 95 grams of methamphetamine and more than 50 grams of cocaine. In a subsequent traffic stop on May 29, Alvarez allegedly was found with approximately 54.4 grams of p-Fluorofentanyl and 27.781 grams of methamphetamine HCL during a traffic stop. Alvarez has been charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine.

Geronimo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine, according to criminal filings. Martinez faces as much as a 60-year combined prison term and $6 million fine for his charges. Alvarez’s maximum prison term is a combined 100 years for his charges and an $11 million fine.

Neither Alvarez nor Geronimo have made their initial appearances on their federal charges.

“The dangerous shift from plant-based drugs to synthetic has created the deadliest drug threat facing our nation, fentanyl. This insidious drug has provided the fuel for 70% of the poisoning deaths last year and requires a multi-agency approach to save lives,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark was quoted in the release. “DEA will do everything in our power to prevent those peddling poison in Santa Cruz from destroying more lives.”