Six Men Arrested for Panga Boat Drug Smuggling

Six men were arrested early Friday morning after they unloaded approximately 1,400 pounds of marijuana — with an estimated street value of $4.2 million — from a Panga boat near El Capitan State Beach. Their arrest, said a Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, “came as a result of an ongoing investigation into the illegal trafficking of narcotics from Mexico.”

Arrested were:

– Habel Martinez Herrera, 43, of Mexico

– Marco Antonio Rangel, 31, of Mexico

– David Arredondo, 26, of Compton

– Martin Guzman, 29, of Compton

– Mauricio Brito, 21, of Compton

– Deiber Chavez, 26, of Los Angeles

All six suspects were arrested for transportation of marijuana and possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, and booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail.