Operation Meltdown: 17 Arrested in Drug Trafficking Investigation
March 13, 2026 – Placer County Sheriff’s Office officials report that on Thursday, March 12th, the Placer County Special Operations Unit executed a major drug trafficking takedown. The investigation, which began in July 2025, started after an undercover detective purchased multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine from a North Auburn–based source.
Over the following months, Placer County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations detectives, working closely with Placer Special Investigations Unit agents, identified a large-scale drug trafficking network operating primarily out of Sacramento and supplying drugs into Placer County. The organization included members affiliated with a Mexican drug trafficking organization as well as individuals connected to two Sacramento-area drug and firearms trafficking gangs…