Large cash and heroin bust in Santa Cruz County, deputies say

A high-level heroin trafficker in Santa Cruz is behind bars after a multi-agency investigation at three different addresses, investigators said.

The Santa Cruz County Anti-Crime Team said Martolo “Gordo” Navarro, 36, of Santa Cruz and Belen Rodriguez, 33, of Castroville, were arrested Thursday.

Investigators said Navarro was associated with an address in the 200 block of Barson Street in Santa Cruz, a second one in the 100 block of Park Place in Santa Cruz and a third in the 13000 block of Cielo Azul in Castroville. They said search warrants were conducted at all three homes after several months of investigating Navarro’s alleged drug trafficking.

They said Rodriguez was a co-conspirator of Navarro’s heroin sales. Drug agents said a half-pound of heroin and nearly $200,000 in cash was found during their search.

SCCACT said this cash seizure was the second-largest in the unit’s 30-year history.

Navarro and Rodriguez are both being held in the Santa Cruz County Jail on charges of heroin possession for sale and conspiracy to distribute heroin.