$27,000 Worth Of Heroin Found Under Watsonville Floor, Police Say

WATSONVILLE, CA — A 23-year-old man was arrested Saturday morning at a Watsonville home after a police dog sniffed out 138 grams of heroin hidden under a floorboard and officers discovered four firearms, including an assault rifle. Andy Viorato-Briseno, of Watsonville, was taken into custody on suspicion of possession of narcotics while armed and possession of a controlled substance for sales.

Viorato-Briseno's arrest came during two simultaneous narcotics search warrants served about 7 a.m. Saturday, at a home in the 800 block of Vista Montana Drive and another in the 1600 block of East Lake Avenue. During the search of the home on East Lake, a California Highway Patrol K-9 named Buddy alerted officers to the floorboard of a bedroom.

Officers found 138.3 grams of heroin with a street value of $27,600. They also found an assault rifle, shotgun, and two handguns at the home, as well as several rounds of ammunition, authorities said. Viorato-Briseno was arrested there and taken county jail.

Officers recovered evidence of narcotic transactions from the Vista Montana Drive
home, but no arrests were made there. The warrants came after Santa Cruz County Gang Task Force officers conducted a three-month investigation into a group of people selling narcotics in the south county area.

Due to information that the individuals were heavily armed, the Watsonville police Special Response Team and the Santa Cruz police Emergency Service Unit were on hand to serve the search warrant at the East Lake Avenue address. Authorities ask that anyone with information on the case or any other gang/narcotic related case, to please call the Santa Cruz County
Anti-Crime Teams at (831) 454-2320.

By Bay City News