Drug Busts Prompt National Recognition For Riverside County Sheriff's Department

The following is a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department:

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Criminal Enforcement Unit was recently recognized at the annual National Interdiction Conference held from March 10th through 14th in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The conference was sponsored by Desert Snow Training and National Criminal Enforcement Association.

The conference was attended by 815 law enforcement officers, representing 39 states. The conference consisted of training in drug interdiction and concluded with an award ceremony, recognizing efforts in drug interdiction for the 2012 calendar year.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Criminal Enforcement Unit was recognized for the follow awards and recognition:

• NCEA Seizure of the Month of August with 20 pounds of pure gold ($506,000)
• NCEA Seizure of the Month of October with 26 kilograms of cocaine
• NCEA Highway Level Largest Marijuana Seizure of 465 pounds
• NCEA Most Aftermarket Compartments with 13
• NCEA Highway Level Methamphetamine Seizure of 38 pounds
• Desert Snow Largest Heroin Seizure of 25 pounds
• NCEA Highway Interdiction Officer of the Year 2012, Deputy Jeremy Harding
• NCEA Highway Interdiction Team of the Year 2012, The Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Deputy Jeremy Harding, Deputy Ted Peterson and Deputy Juan Salcido

The Criminal Enforcement Unit was established in 2007 and consists of deputy sheriffs and their K-9 partners. The deputies patrol and monitor county roadway and highways known to be routes for the trafficking of illegal and illicit narcotics.