Search Warrant Leads to Possession of Narcotics and Controlled Substances for Sale

In December 2022, detectives from the SRPD Narcotics Unit began an investigation into a local Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO). During the investigation, detectives identified Santa Rosa resident, 46-year-old Alvaro Sanchez-Valencia, as a person distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Santa Rosa area. Detectives authored a search warrant for Sanchez-Valencia’s person, residence, and vehicles. On 05/24/23, at approximately 2:50 pm, detectives from the Narcotics Unit and Property Crimes, along with officers from patrol conducted a vehicle stop on Sanchez-Valencia’s vehicle in the 1200 block of W. College Av pursuant to the search warrant. The occupants of that vehicle were detained. The driver, identified as 42-year-old Sonia Cardenas-Sandoval, lives with Sanchez-Valencia. Detectives and officers rolled back to the 1000 block of Cleveland Av and detained Sanchez-Valencia, pursuant to the search warrant, outside his residence. Detectives then executed the service of the search warrant at the residence where approximately 1.5 ounces of suspected Isotonitazene (ISO) and approximately 8 ounces of suspected methamphetamine were located. Additionally, clean packaging materials, a digital scale, and approximately $1900.00 in US currency were located.

ISO is a synthetic opioid that is believed to be more potent than fentanyl and it is believed Naloxone (Narcan) does not have an effect on it or may require multiple doses of Narcan to have an effect. We do not have much information on the potency of the suspected ISO. If it is, in fact, more potent than Fentanyl, it could be that less than 2 milligrams of ISO would be considered a lethal dose. Therefore, 1.5 ounces of suspected ISO would be more than 2,150 lethal doses.

Sanchez-Valencia and Cardenas-Sandoval were arrested and booked into the Sonoma County Jail for the following violations:
 

• 11351 H&S – Possession of a Narcotic for Sale
• 11378 H&S – Possession of a controlled Substance for Sale

Their bail was set at $250,000.00.