TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Tulare County Sheriff’s Mike Boudreaux revealed Friday evening what he says was the likely motive behind the Goshen massacre on January 16, which resulted in the death of six victims including a 10-month-old baby.
According to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, two of the victims were members of a gang – and the two gunmen were members of a rival gang. As a result of an ongoing investigation, deputies say they arrested eight more suspects, served 18 arrest warrants and retrieved six firearms.
Sheriff Mike Boudreaux says the gang members were making untraceable guns to give to other gang members – and confirmed that the Goshen massacre was about drugs.
“This is about drugs, drug money, illegal drug running, and illegal firearms, infiltrating the entire Central Valley,” said Boudreaux. “We are able to identity future locations in different counties in California.”
As part of the ongoing investigation, detectives say they served nine search warrants in Visalia and Goshen areas on known gang members. Five firearms, two pounds of meth, one ounce of cocaine, an illegal firearm manufacturing operation, and gang indicia were found as a result.
Authorities say the illegal firearm manufacturing operation consisted of gang members creating and selling untraceable firearms to other gang members. The evidence retrieved was polymer-80 parts to assemble untraceable handguns, assault rifle parts to assemble untraceable AR-15 style firearms, and parts to make a handgun fully automatic.
As the warrants were being served, deputies say the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation conducted 23 cell searches on known gang members throughout multiple prisons in California and as a result, cellphones, weapons, and gang intelligence were siezed from validated prison gang members.
Deputies announced the following suspects were arrested on suspicion of the following charges:
- Jimmy Analla Jr, 31 years old, of Goshen; possession of methamphetamine for sales, possession of cocaine for sales
- Carlos Garcia Jr, 25 years old, of Visalia; child Endangerment, possession of an assault weapon, manufacturing an illegal weapon, and gang enhancement.
- Carlos Garcia Sr, 44 years old, of Visalia; felon in possession of a firearm, gang enhancement
- Julie Balderama, 27 years old, of Visalia; child endangerment
- Rigoberto Benavides, 36 years old, of Visalia; possession of drug paraphernalia
- Patricia Flores, 30 years old, of Visalia; possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of parole
- Michael Castro, 40 years old, of Visalia; child endangerment, prohibited person in possession of a firearm
- Tommy Gonzales, 30 years old, of Visalia; felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, possession of a stolen firearm
In total, 26 arrests have been made as part of Operation Nightmare.
The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information regarding this investigation to contact the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office at (559)733-6218.
