News

Actions

Multiple arrested in connection with drug trafficking ring out of Bakersfield

Posted

Multiple men are behind bars in connection to running a drug ring out of Bakersfield that stretched throughout the United States. 

On Thursday, the California Department of Justice announced that eight men had been indicted for participation in a meth and heroin conspiracy. 

Jose Luis Zambrano, Juan Carlos Lopez, Ruben Mojarro, Adalberto Jacobo, all of Bakersfield; Joel Melendez, Edgar Omar Rodriguez Parra, and Alex Castro Portillo, all of Mexico; and Manuel Teodoro Aros, of Santa Maria, were all named in the indictment. 

Court documents show that Zambrano was the head of the organization, referred to in documents as the Zambrano Drug Trafficking Organization. 

The group was known to sell and possess "large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin to the Bakersfield area and other locations."

Court records show that Zambrano mentioned moving meth and heroin to Washington, North Dakota, and Atlanta.

Zambrano, Lopez, Mojarro, Aros and Jacobo have been taken into custody. The others are on the run and are believed to be in Mexico. 

Zambrano also faces murder charges in connection to a homicide at Family Dollar on Union Avenue. 

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Thursday

09/25/2025

Mostly Sunny

86° / 68°

23%

Friday

09/26/2025

Mostly Sunny

88° / 69°

2%

Saturday

09/27/2025

Mostly Sunny

91° / 67°

2%

Sunday

09/28/2025

Sunny

84° / 65°

4%

Monday

09/29/2025

Partly Cloudy

81° / 65°

4%

Tuesday

09/30/2025

Partly Cloudy

78° / 62°

8%

Wednesday

10/01/2025

Sunny

81° / 61°

3%

Thursday

10/02/2025

Sunny

83° / 63°

1%