Riverside sheriff's 'embarrassing' sting goes wrong, leaves 60 pounds of meth with trafficker

A Riverside County Sheriff's Department sting operation gone wrong last week put 60 pounds of methamphetamine in the hands of a narcotics trafficker, the department has admitted.

Narcotics investigators with the department were hoping to identify drug traffickers Wednesday during an undercover operation, the Sheriff's Department said. Deputies posing as wholesale drug sellers met with a suspect who wanted to buy 27 kilos of the powerful stimulant, they said.

The deputies sold the street drug to the suspect, who promptly drove away from the undercover law enforcement team, according to the department.

Other deputies from the gang task force tried to stop the suspect's car, but the suspect fled, according to the Sheriff's Department.

The suspect sped away at "high speeds" and exhibited a "disregard for public safety."

"Why would you let someone get in their vehicle, I don't know," said Michael Lujan, a retired captain with the Riverside Sheriff's Department who lost the election to be sheriff to Chad Bianco last year. "It is pretty embarrassing. It’s unfortunate because now we have additional narcotics out on the street."

Lujan said he heard the sale was made for $35,000.

Lujan said that a "reverse-buy" operation usually has guardrails in place to stop suspects from making off with narcotics.

The department creates an "operational package" that details any concerns or difficulties that could occur during the sting, Lujan said. Surrounding area hazards are outlined, and any escape routes are noted. Ideally, sufficient background has been done on the suspect and there is a surveillance plan in place so that other deputies besides those undercover are monitoring the site of the sting.

"The question is, was this operation completed within the guidelines and parameters of the department to maximize a positive result in the investigation?" Lujan said.

The department did not say what went wrong that led to the suspect escaping with the drugs.

The department — which put out a news release after a reporter for the Desert Sun began asking for information on the incident — said the investigation was continuing. The department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.