Federal prosecutors charged 17 people with fentanyl trafficking after a 10-month investigation that seized enough of the drug to produce more than 13 million lethal doses across San Diego County.

The coordinated takedown on Thursday, Sept. 3, involved more than 200 federal, state and local law enforcement officers, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced. Officers arrested 13 defendants that day and executed a search warrant in San Diego. Two defendants were arrested earlier in the week. Two remain fugitives.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office, which patrols Del Mar, Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe through its North Coastal Station, helped lead the investigation. The Sheriff's Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) opened the joint probe in November 2025, targeting a San Diego-based trafficking organization.

One defendant, Andrew Reva, 51, is from Encinitas.

Over the course of the case, authorities seized more than 27 kilograms of fentanyl, 14.5 kilograms of cocaine, 0.6 kilograms of heroin, 0.8 kilograms of methamphetamine and $49,000 in cash, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The case traces to the Nov. 25, 2025, arrest of Fabian Iniguez Ontiveros, in which agents seized 4.8 kilograms of fentanyl, 0.8 kilograms of methamphetamine and $10,042. A search of Iniguez Ontiveros' cell phone revealed dozens of fentanyl sub-distributors working for the organization, prosecutors said. Drug ledgers showed the group routinely sold an ounce of fentanyl for $600 to $700 and made as much as $20,000 in a single night of deliveries.

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, agents arrested two more members of the organization and seized 20.28 kilograms of fentanyl and 14.52 kilograms of cocaine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

All 17 defendants face a federal conspiracy charge that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez praised the multi-agency effort in a statement.

"This investigation exemplifies the resources and level of law enforcement cooperation necessary to bring those responsible for distributing deadly narcotics to justice," Martinez said.

The Sheriff's Office noted the Sept. 3 operation was not related to any federal immigration enforcement and that the agency remains in compliance with California's Senate Bill 54, which limits local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Agencies involved in the investigation included HSI, the Sheriff's Office, the San Diego Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Border Patrol and several other federal and state agencies.

Residents with questions about Sheriff's Office operations can call the non-emergency line at (858) 868-3200.