Two juvenile suspects were taken into custody on suspicion of running a drug delivery business that catered to Ventura County’s schoolchildren.
Edgar Nabte, an 18-year-old Camarillo resident, was named as one suspect. According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the other was only recognized as a male child because he was a minor.
Detectives started looking into a drug delivery service that mostly sold drugs to children in the county in April and May.
The service marketed nicotine vape devices, psilocybin mushrooms, and marijuana to young people. After ingesting psilocybin mushrooms that the service sold, one of the young patrons ended up in the hospital.
Nabte and the unnamed young male were later named as suspects by detectives, who claimed that they sold the drugs using messaging apps and social media.
Authorities executed a search warrant in the 2300 Block of Los Feliz Drive in Thousand Oaks and the 2600 Block of Antonio Drive in Camarillo on May 21.
Nabte was found and apprehended during the search. The male kid was found and taken into custody in Thousand Oaks two days later.
During the search, deputies discovered a significant amount of loose marijuana, roughly 47 marijuana vape devices, 62 nicotine vape devices, and 18 cartons of pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes.
Additionally, they discovered more than $5,000 in US currency, which they assumed was obtained from the sale of illegal drugs.
Nabte was charged with conspiracy to conduct a felony, possession of a controlled substance for sale, and sale of a controlled substance to a juvenile at the Ventura County Jail. His bail amount is $50,000.
The adolescent man was taken into custody on charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, driving a motor vehicle without a license, and possessing a controlled substance for sale.
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The goal of VC FOCUS, the task force working on the case, is to “target the supply chain of individuals and criminal organizations responsible for the sales of these drugs into Ventura County in order to combat fentanyl related crimes and opioid overdoses.”
The task group also aims to educate the general public about the deadly threat posed by this epidemic and spot emerging patterns of abuse among the younger generation.
Investigators from the VC FOCUS task force can be reached by phone at 805-383-8700 or by email at VCFOCUS@ventura.org if you have information about the case or similar crimes.
