DA: Watsonville man arrested for dropping off two socks full of narcotics at Salinas Courthouse

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- The Monterey County District Attorney's Office said a Watsonville man has been arrested for using a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation truck as a drug drop-off spot back in Jan.

Gustavo Chavez, 30, was arrested on Feb. 16 after three search warrants were executed in Aptos, Santa Cruz and Watsonville by the Monterey County District Attorney Investigators, with the assistance of
CDCR SVSP Investigative Services Unit, CDCR Bay Area Special Services Unit, CDCR Fugitive Apprehensive Team, Del Rey Oaks Police Decetives, Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office, Santa Cruz Police Department, Santa Cruz Office of the California Highway Patrol, and Watsonville Police Department.

The district attorney's office said that Chavez and others were spotted by a Salinas Courthouse security officer acting suspiciously around a CDCR transportation truck. The officer then discovered two socks full of narcotics and cell phones.

Investigators with the Monterey County District Attorney's Office and the CDCR identified the narcotics as 86.63 grams of Methamphetamine, 25.86 grams of Heroin, 71.06 grams of Marijuana and ten cell phones. The street value is estimated to be $700,000.

Chavez was identified as one of the people in the contraband drop-off. Chavez was on post-release community supervision in Santa Cruz County and had a criminal history including possession of loaded firearms, witness intimidation, evading and domestic violence, said the district attorney's office.

Chavez was arrested and booked into Monterey County Jail for possession of meth, possession of meth for sales, transportation of meth, possession of heroin for sales, transportation of heroin, conspiracy, possession of a controlled substance where prisoners are kept, and furnishing prisoners with controlled substances, per the Monterey County Di

This is an ongoing investigation by the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.