15 people arrested for buying alcohol for minors in Watsonville

Hundreds of people were arrested and cited following a statewide undercover operation to catch those buying alcohol for minors in California.

Sixty-nine agencies, including the Watsonville Police Department, participated in the “shoulder tap” operation on March 9.

In Watsonville, the department’s minor decoys asked 64 people to buy them alcohol at 22 different stores. Out of the 64 people, 49 refused to purchase alcohol for the minors. However, officers arrested and cited 15 people for buying alcohol for those underage.

Watsonville police said one of the arrestees had cocaine and methamphetamine.

“The goal of this operation was to reduce underage drinking, increase public safety but also send a strong message to adults who buy alcohol for minors about the major repercussions,” Watsonville police said in a written statement.

Those cited face a misdemeanor charge and a fine of up to $1,000.