Three Held Over for Trial in Drug Case Ending in Calabasas Car Chase

A Ventura County Superior Court judge has held over three defendants in a drug-related case that ended when the trio was caught in Calabasas following a high-speed chase in March.

Judge Brian Back found during a preliminary hearing last Friday there existed sufficient evidence showing Ventura County residents Joaquin Guzman Cardenas, 18; Filemon Camacho Gaxiloa, 33, and Diego Lopez Zuniga, 25, were involved in the crime in which law enforcement discovered a substantial amount of cocaine.

The three are accused of possession of and intent to sell cocaine to alleged drug buyers Alejandro Arroyo and Pablo Arroyo, whom authorities have charged in separate crimes related to the apparent drug deal.

Late on March 17 Alejandro Arroyo led police on a chase down Highway 126 during which he accelerated numerous times to 100 mph and ran several red lights. California Highway Patrol officers were able to stop Arroyo in Calabasas by placing spike strips in the road, but not more DEA agent Michael Nilsen testified Arroyo had tossed three-plus pounds of cocaine out of the vehicle.

Nilsen testified for several hours about the five men’s alleged involvement in the drug scheme, saying both Arroyos met Cardenas, Gaxiloa and Zuniga at a residential property in Santa Paula where they purchased eight pounds of cocaine. Police later stopped Pablo Arroyo and arrested him while he had a .357 magnum in his possession.

Later police arrested the Cardenas, Gaxiloa and Zuniga at another traffic stop, at which point they found one pound of methamphetamine, eight pounds of cocaine and almost $120,000 inside the three men’s vehicle.