SAN DIEGO — San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit and Deputy District Attorney Eric Tran held a news conference Friday to announce dozens of grand jury indictments and arrests resulting from a four-month undercover operation that stemmed from public concerns over rampant drug dealing in the East Village.
The San Diego Police Department joined forces with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office in April 2019 to set up an undercover sting operation called ‘Operation Red Beard.' According to the District Attorney's Office, the operation was designed to identify dozens of dealers who were selling significant amounts of drugs, get them off the street and reduce overall crime in the neighborhood.
Authorities launched the operation in a targeted, three-by-four block area just east of Petco Park. Over the next four months, undercover officers made dozens of buys and built cases against a small army of dealers. During the operation, officers bought a variety of drugs including meth, heroin and crack cocaine.
“This is a classic example of a coordinated, proactive response by law enforcement to address an uptick in crime and take action to improve safety in an area of downtown that continues to provide public safety challenges,” said Stephan. “By far, the most common illegal drug being sold in the area was meth – something that is consistent with drugs found in people who are arrested in the county."
On Oct. 17, a grand jury was impaneled to hear evidence from the operation and on Oct. 30, it handed down 30 indictments against 41 defendants. Bench warrants were issued and the San Diego Police Department started making arrests. As of Friday, 32 defendants have been arrested and 30 have been arraigned in court.
Authorities say most of the defendants have been charged with various felony crimes including transporting and selling a controlled substance, which carry potential sentences of between six months and 10 years in jail if convicted.
“This operation is a great example of how our department responds to the needs and concerns of community members,” said Nisleit. “The San Diego Police Department worked closely with the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office to combat this criminal activity and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”
Increasingly, authorities are seeing various kinds of street drugs, including heroin, cocaine and opioids laced with deadly fentanyl.
“Even a tiny amount of fentanyl can kill in moments, which is another reason we wanted to stop the sell/buy cycle in the East Village,” DA Stephan said.
