Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputies Arrest Multiple People in Moorpark Drug Investigation

A narcotics investigation at a Moorpark home led to multiple arrests on December 5, 2025, after detectives found methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana, and signs of drug sales, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said.

The investigation focused on a residence in the 14000 block of Avenida Colonia in Moorpark. Moorpark Special Enforcement Unit (SEU) detectives identified Vanessa Gonzalez as the primary suspect.

After a detailed investigation, SEU detectives authored a search warrant that a Ventura County Superior Court judge approved.

On December 5, 2025, at 7:10 a.m., detectives from the Moorpark SEU, the Moorpark Investigations Bureau, and the East County SEU served the residential search warrant at the address.

During the search, deputies located 4.6 gross grams of methamphetamine, 0.61 gross grams of fentanyl, and 200 gross grams of marijuana, along with indicia of narcotic sales.

The Sheriff’s Office said 34-year-old Kevin Aguilar of Moorpark was arrested and booked for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Vanessa Gonzalez was arrested and booked on multiple charges, including possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of narcotic paraphernalia, possession of marijuana for sale, and an enhanced-penalty provision for prior narcotics convictions.

Additional arrests included Arnoldo Gonzalez, Emilio Solis, and Salvador Zavala. They were each booked for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Two other people, Hernan Castillo and Lorraine Hatcher, were cited and released.

The Sheriff’s Office said the operation is part of ongoing efforts to address narcotics activity in Ventura County.

In a separate incident on November 24, 2025, deputies arrested three Los Angeles residents at the Ojai Skateboard Park after a caller reported individuals drinking alcohol and using narcotics inside a parked vehicle. Deputies detained and searched the vehicle, seizing large quantities of counterfeit pills, other drugs, and packaging materials.

Separately, on October 9, 2025, the Thousand Oaks Directed Enforcement Unit (DEU), East County SEU, and the Ventura County Combined Agency Team (VCAT) arrested three Northridge residents after serving search warrants on multiple vehicles and a residence during an investigation into a drug-trafficking organization.

From the search, an unregistered handgun, about $8,000 in cash, and large quantities of narcotics packaged for sale were recovered. The substances include cocaine, marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, methamphetamine, ketamine, MDMA, alprazolam pills, THC vape cartridges, infused candy, and nitrous oxide, along with extensive packaging equipment.

The City of Ventura Police Department provided a list of signs the public can watch for and urged residents to report suspicious activity.

Warning signs include unusually frequent, brief traffic to a property (including at odd hours); visible, repeated exchanges; drug paraphernalia; strong, musty odors; heavy security measures; or properties that show no signs of normal occupancy or maintenance.