Narcotics Unit

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit is comprised of several teams of specially trained and highly dedicated personnel who are responsible for the investigation and suppression of all forms of illegal narcotics trafficking which adversely impact the citizens of Ventura County.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Street Team (NST) has the primary goal of investigating and disrupting the flow of illegal narcotics at the street level in Ventura County. 

The Ventura County Fentanyl and Overdose Crimes Units (VC FOCUS) is a task force comprised of detectives from all Ventura County law enforcement agencies, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, and federal law enforcement partners. The primary mission of this partnership is to combat fentanyl related crimes and opioid overdoses by targeting the supply chain of individuals and criminal organizations responsible for the sales of these drugs into Ventura County.  In addition, the task force works to identify new trends of abuse among the younger population and educate the community at large on the lethal danger of this epidemic.

The Ventura County Combined Agency Team (VCAT) is made up of investigators from both local and federal law enforcement agencies.  VCAT adheres to a multijurisdictional collaborative approach focusing primarily on major and mid-level drug offenders and drug trafficking organizations whose operations impact Ventura County.  

Investigations performed by members of the Narcotics Unit require a variety of techniques to include such things as surveillance, under-cover operations, informant development, information gathering and analysis, and the service of search and arrest warrants. From the most complex investigations of major narcotics traffickers to the methods and operations of the street level dealer, the Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit actively and aggressively pursues all violators in a manner which helps to promote neighborhoods free from crime.