Narcotics deputies with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office seized a quarter-ton of methamphetamine after searching a residence in San Jose allegedly linked to a larger meth trafficking investigation, the office said.

On Saturday, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant in the 3000 block of Seven Trees Boulevard in San Jose.

During the execution of the search warrant, detectives conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle allegedly linked to the target of the investigation. The car initially complied but then fled, leading to a pursuit that ended in a crash at a nearby intersection, the Sheriff’s Office said. The driver ran away and barricaded himself inside a nearby residence of a stranger.

The San Jose Police Department responded and various measures were taken to try and locate the suspect, but the driver was not found.

Meanwhile, at the search on Seven Trees Boulevard, with assistance from Sonoma Sheriff’s K-9 “Duke,” detectives allegedly seized approximately 500 pounds of methamphetamine.

THAT’S A GOOD DOG: Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office K-9 “Duke” with 500 pounds of methamphetamine he helped deputies locate during a search of a residence in San Jose on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. Two people were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking. (Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office via Bay City News)

“This significant seizure, believed to be one of the largest in Northern California in recent years, has undoubtedly made a substantial impact on the safety of our community,” said the Sheriff’s Office on social media on Monday.

Additional items allegedly seized included approximately $4,000 in cash and a loaded firearm.

The primary suspect, identified as Jose Ortiz-Rivera, 40, who investigators allege was found to be using multiple aliases, was arrested along with Adela Lamas-Quintero, 47. Both were arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, transportation of a controlled substance, possession of narcotics while armed with a loaded firearm, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person, offenses related to counterfeit identification documents, and conspiracy. Both suspects were booked into the Sonoma County Jail with bail set at $500,000 each. A search of jail records on Monday showed neither in custody.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit, re-established in November 2024 to address rising narcotics activity, achieved its largest seizure to date with this operation, the Sonoma Sheriff’s Office said.

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.