Four Arrested in El Centro Shoulder Tap Operation for Providing Alcohol to Minors
EL CENTRO, CA — ”El Centro Police Department and agents from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) arrested 4 suspects on July 28, 2025 for furnishing, alcoholic beverages to minors, The arrests were the result of a Shoulder Tap operation conducted in El Centro, California.
Shoulder Tap operations target adults who purchase alcohol for underage people. A minor under the direct supervision of a peace officer stands outside a liquor or convenience store and ask patrons to buy them alcohol. The minor indicates in some way they are underage and cannot purchase the alcohol..
If an adult agrees to purchase alcohol for the underage person, agents can arrest and cite them for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.
“Underage drinking harms our community. Never buy alcohol for a minor,” said Interim Police Chief Kelly Brown.
“We perform these operations to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “By preventing underage drinking we can increase the quality of life in our communities and reduce drunk driving crashes.”
Statistics show minors have a higher rate of drunk driving crashes than adults. About 25 percent of alcohol-related crashes involve underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to the American Medical Association, underage drinking can also increase chances of risky sexual behavior and teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, compromise health, and result in unintentional injury and death.
This project is part of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s Minor Decoy/Shoulder Tap Grant Project, funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.”
