Smuggling Drugs into Santee Jail
February 23, 2025 – San Diego County Sheriff’s Office officials report that several people have been arrested on suspicion of 
smuggling narcotics into a San Diego County jail.
In December 2024, Zamira Bellozo (42) and Carli Gilstrap (31), both of whom are currently incarcerated, coordinated with Ernesto Villapondo (50) and a 16-year-old girl to smuggle narcotics into the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility (LCDRF) in Santee.
The Sheriff's Detention Investigations Unit (DIU) began a criminal investigation, which found Villapondo drove the juvenile to LCDRF to smuggle narcotics into a public accessible area. Sheriff's Detectives identified Gilstrap as having retrieved the narcotics and then brought them into a secure area of LCDRF.
On Tuesday, February 18, DIU Detectives, with the assistance of the Santee Sheriff's Station's Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS) team, served a search warrant at Villapando's home in National City. While at the home, the juvenile was taken into custody.
Villapondo refused to surrender to deputies and barricaded himself inside the home. The Sheriff's Special Enforcement Detail (SED/SWAT), Sheriff's Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) and Sheriff's K-9 Unit were called in to assist DIU Detectives. Villapondo was eventually arrested and taken to a hospital to be treated for an ankle injury.
Detectives recovered 12 grams of methamphetamine and a gram of cocaine inside of Villapondo's home. While being booked into custody, Villapondo was also found to be in possession of an additional 1.5 grams of methamphetamine. Villapondo is facing multiple charges, including smuggling narcotics into a jail facility, felony resisting, felony threats to a peace officer, conspiracy, and child cruelty.
The juvenile was arrested for charges related to smuggling narcotics into a jail facility and felony resisting. She was later released to the custody of a family member.
Gilstrap was rearrested on multiple charges related to smuggling narcotics into a jail facility, conspiracy, and child cruelty.
Bellozo is facing multiple charges related to smuggling narcotics into a jail facility and conspiracy. She is currently in federal custody.
Source: San Diego County Sheriff’s Office
