ONLY ON ABC7NEWS.COM: Targeted drug operation in San Francisco's Tenderloin District ends in 84 arrests

Vic Lee Image
ByVic Lee KGO logo
Thursday, October 18, 2018
EXCLUSIVE: Targeted bust in SF's Tenderloin District ends in 84 arrests
A targeted drug operation by San Francisco in the Tenderloin District ended with 84 people arrested, mostly on drug charges, ABC7 News has learned.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- ABC7 News has learned that a targeted drug operation by San Francisco police this week in the Tenderloin District ended with 84 people arrested, most on drug charges.

We're told Mayor London Breed will hold a news conference Thursday to announce the sweeping arrests.

Among them are 41 heroin, cocaine and meth dealers and 11 fugitives.

RELATED: SFPD, DEA investigation leads to more than 20 arrests

Police Union President Tony Montoya says it's a revolving door and that they're often cited and released as quickly as they're booked.

"You see some of these people with seven or eight stay away orders from a particular location or particular people and they're getting released right away," Montoya said.

Take the case of Darwin Betanco. He was caught with 124 bindles of cocaine and charged with possession for sale. It was his third arrest in the in the Tenderloin this year.

Mayor London Breed walked the streets of the Tenderloin in July, promising to clean up the neighborhood.

RELATED: Several arrested after police, feds conduct raids in San Francisco's Sunnydale

Longtime activist Rudy Corpuz of United Playaz says the mayor is headed in the right direction.

"I'm talking about real housing for people, careers and we need to make sure everybody got health care," said Corpuz.

Adam Mesnick lives downtown. He's seen the drug dealing epidemic. In fact, he monitors it and spreads the information on his twitter account.

With no consequences, he says drug dealing is a hard job to top. "It's a lot of money every day," Mesnick said. "$500 to $1,000, tax free dollars. Very flexible schedule obviously."

Police officials and Mayor London Breed declined to talk to us about the drug operation.