Above: Seized items | Courtesy of VPD
Originally Published By Visalia Police Department
“After a 3-month long investigation into the manufacturing, and selling of illegal firearms, the Visalia PD Narcotics, SEU (Special Enforcement Unit), SWAT, Property Crimes, Youth Services, HOPE, Violent Crimes, UAS, and Commercial Policing Units, along with the Porterville PD SWAT Team, served seven search warrants yesterday in Visalia and Woodlake.
The units worked together to execute the search warrants where evidence of the crime was located, including a 3-D printer, 3-D printing material, machine gun parts, prohibited weapons, polymer 80 jigs used to manufacture privately made firearms or “Ghost Guns”.
The following people were arrested during this operation.
- Eric Carrazco (18) of Visalia – Felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of a high-capacity magazine, as well as a Ramey arrest warrant for Conspiracy to illegally manufacture and sell firearms.
- Moises Garcia (22) of Visalia – Resisting or delaying an officer.
- David Enriquez (42) of Visalia – Felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of a prohibited weapon, criminal storage of a firearm.
- Male Juvenile (15) of Visalia – Conspiracy to illegally manufacture and sales of firearms, minor in possession of a handgun, carrying a loaded firearm in a public place, possession of a concealed firearm, possession of a high-capacity magazine as well as a Ramey arrest warrant for minor possessing a handgun and Conspiracy to illegally manufacture and sell firearms.
- Justin Hernandez (43) of Visalia – Felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of a stolen firearm, Criminal storage of a firearm.
- Nathan Hogan (19) of Visalia – Ramey warrant for conspiracy and firearm manufacturing.
- Mason Strawn (18) of Visalia – Possession of Marijuana with intent to distribute, Ramey warrant for Conspiracy to illegally manufacture and sell firearms and child endangerment.
- Andrew Leyba (19) of Visalia – Possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance while armed, possession of a sawed-off shotgun as well as a Ramey arrest warrant for Conspiracy, possession of a high-capacity magazine, possession of a machine gun, possession of an assault weapon, possession of an unregistered firearm, illegal
manufacture, and sales of firearms.
Agents with the Tulare Area Regional Gun Violence Enforcement Team (TARGET), TCSO SWAT, Tulare County DA’s Office Investigators, and Agents with the California Department of Justice served three search warrants at two homes in Visalia and one in Woodlake. Those search warrants resulted in the following arrests:
- Isaac Sotelo Jr (19) of Visalia – Ramey warrant for Conspiracy to illegally manufacture and sales of firearms and Unlawful transfer of a firearm.
- Christian Martinez (18) of Woodlake – Child endangerment and a Ramey warrant for possession of a machine gun, manufacturing a machine gun.
We would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to all the agencies involved in this investigation for their assistance and collaboration.”
