UPDATE: Five more arrested in Big Sur drug-smuggling panga boat investigation

UPDATE 6/15/2015: The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said five more people have been arrested in Friday’s drug-smuggling “panga boat” bust.

Those arrests bring the total to nine people: Alejandro Acosta, 26, of Yuma, AZ, Gonzalo Quezara, 27, of Riverside, CA, Jesus Garibay, 25, of Yuma, AZ, Alexis Garibay, 18, of Yuma, AZ, Jose Sanchez, 38, of Mexico, Juan Rojo, 19, of Mexico, Victor Sandoval-Cardenas, 40, of Mexico, Jesus Corrales, 51, of Mexico, and Aaron Quintero, 23, of Yuma, AZ.

UPDATE 6/12/2015 5:09 p.m.: Four suspects were arrested in an early morning drug-smuggling investigation off the coast of Big Sur. Investigators said they recovered about $18 million in marijuana.

According to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the drug smuggling boat called a “panga boat,” came ashore around 1:30 a.m. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office discovered the boat after doing some surveillance in the area, investigators said.

A van near the scene was searched and that’s where four suspects and some marijuana were found inside. At least 150 bails of marijuana, weighing about 30 to 35 pounds each, were found on the beach near Mill Creek Day Use area, investigators said.

Alejandro Acosta, 26, of Yuma, AZ, Quezara, Gonzalo, 27, of Riverside, CA, Jesus Garibay, 25, of Yuma, AZ, and Alexis Garibay, 18, of Yuma, AZ were arrested and booked in the Monterey County Jail.

UPDATE 6/12/2015 2:30 p.m.: Four suspects have been arrested in an early morning drug-smuggling investigation Friday off the coast of Big Sur, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office said a panga boat came ashore around 2 a.m. and when deputies stopped a van in the area, four people and “a bunch of weed” was found inside.

PREVIOUS STORY: Law enforcement officers are responding to a reported panga boat with marijuana off the coast, near the San Luis Obispo County line.

California Highway Patrol, U.S. Customs and the U.S. Coast Guard were seen working on the case Friday morning along Highway 1 near mile marker 18.

NewsChannel 5 has a crew in the area and we will update this story as information becomes available.