April 1, 2023 - Kern County Sheriff's Office officials report that on March 28, 2023, at approximately 10:15 a.m., the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (KC-HIDTA), along with agents from FBI-Stockton, HSI- Bakersfield, DEA-Bakersfield, United States Border Patrol, and detectives from the HIDTA-SHINE Initiative, executed a search warrant on a methamphetamine conversion lab operating at a large rural property in the 25000 block of Gaskell Road in the Neenach/Rosamond area of Kern County. Members of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Kern County Probation Department also assisted in the execution of the search warrant and the arrest of the subjects involved in operating the clandestine methamphetamine lab.
As units were approaching the property, surveillance units identified several known involved vehicles leaving the property. Members of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were directed into the location of a late model Chevrolet Suburban, which had been identified previously in the investigation to conduct an enforcement stop. Detectives and agent arrived at the property a short time later to execute the search warrant and saw two subjects later identified as Edgar Bernal, (age 28) from Mexicali, Mexico and Juan Gonzalez, (age 23) from Mexicali, Mexico fleeing the property on foot into the rural mountain area. Both Edgar Bernal and Juan Gonzalez were quickly apprehended without incident by members of the Kern County Probation Department.
The subsequent traffic stop was conducted on the Chevrolet Suburban by Wardens from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in the area of 170th Street West and West Avenue A. Marcos Sandoval, (age 39) of Mexicali, Mexico was found to be the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 758 pounds of methamphetamine packaged and concealed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
Members of the DEA-Western Laboratory, Kern County Environmental Heath and KC-HIDTA assessed the hazards of the methamphetamine conversion lab and began processing the property for evidence while dismantling the conversion lab. Detectives located and seized an additional 121 pounds of finished crystal methamphetamine and approximately 350 pounds of methamphetamine currently in a meth/ liquid solution state. Several rifles and handguns were seized from the residence/lab.
This investigation resulted in the dismantling of a large-scale clandestine methamphetamine conversion lab/operation and was the result of a lengthy and collaborative investigation conducted by investigators of the United States Border Patrol, HSI-Calexico, HSI-Bakersfield, FBI-Stockton, DEA-Bakersfield, the HIDTA-SHINE Initiative and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, KC-HIDTA Task Force.
Members of Kern County Code Compliance responded and during their investigation found numerous building code violations. Based on the violations, the structures and outbuildings on the large property were deemed unsafe for occupancy and posted by Kern County Code Compliance.
Marcos Sandoval (age 39) from Mexicali, Mexico, Edgar Bernal (age 28) from Mexicali, Mexico, and Juan Gonzalez (age 23) from Mexicali, Mexico were arrested and booked into the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Central Receiving Facility jail for the following charges: manufacturing a controlled substance, transportation of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of sales, possession of a controlled substance while being armed and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Source & photo: Kern County Sheriff's Office
