A man was arrested in Ventura County for allegedly working as a narcotics delivery driver for Mexican cartels.

The suspect was identified as Kevin Montano Chavez, 21, by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators had been tracking a narcotics delivery service that was supplying fentanyl and other drugs to Ventura County residents.

Drivers who were identified as working with the delivery service, which was owned by Mexican cartels, were being surveilled.

On July 5, deputies spotted Chavez conducting an apparent drug sale in Camarillo.

As Chavez drove away, authorities pulled him over for vehicle code violations. During questioning, Chavez said he was homeless and had recently moved to the U.S. from Sinaloa, Mexico.   

During a search of his vehicle, which was registered out of El Monte, deputies located 2,023 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, half a pound of heroin, half a pound of powder fentanyl, and $1,412 in cash from drug sales.

Chavez was arrested on charges including possession for sales of a controlled substance and transportation of a controlled substance. He is being held at the Ventura County Jail on $50,000 bail. 

“The profits from the narcotics sold by these delivery services are then funneled back to these drug cartels operating in Mexico,” deputies explained. “These services are directly managed by drug cartel members outside the United States who facilitate the mass delivery of narcotics to subjects all throughout Southern California using ‘delivery drivers.’”

Counterfeit M-30 (Oxycodone) pills are highly abused and often contribute to fatal and non-fatal overdoses within Ventura County, authorities said.

“The pills look identical to legitimate medications and are mixed with fentanyl,” deputies said. “As little as 2mg of fentanyl is considered to be a lethal dose of this deadly drug. These counterfeit pills are mass produced by drug cartels and sold throughout the United States for large profits.”

The United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) estimates that six out of every ten pills currently seized by law enforcement agencies in the U.S. are counterfeit and contain fentanyl.

Anyone with additional information on the case or other narcotics-related incidents can contact investigators at 805-383-8700 or email VCFOCUS@ventura.org.