East Bay drug raid leads to seizure of 11 pounds of fentanyl

SAN FRANCISCO -- A 23-year-old alleged drug dealer was in custody and 11 pounds of fentanyl seized during a raid in Oakland as the crackdown on the pipeline delivering the deadly drug to San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood intensifies.

A week ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom directed the California Highway Patrol and California National Guard to use their resources to assist San Francisco with its fentanyl trafficking crisis.

The Highway Patrol and National Guard will join the San Francisco police department and the district attorney's office to focus on dismantling fentanyl trafficking and disrupting the supply of the drug by "holding the operators of large-scale drug trafficking operations accountable," Newsom said in a statement.

"Two truths can co-exist at the same time," the governor said. "San Francisco's violent crime rate is below comparably sized cities like Jacksonville and Fort Worth-- and there is also more we must do to address public safety concerns, especially the fentanyl crisis."

On Friday, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced multiple felony charges against David Diaz-Morazan, who was taken into custody on April 25th by members of the San Francisco police department.  

Diaz Morazan is charged with two counts of possession for sale of controlled substances (fentanyl and methamphetamine), one count of maintaining a place for selling or using controlled substances, one count for the sale of fentanyl, and three counts for the sale of methamphetamine. 

"The criminal justice system needs to recognize that drug dealing is a serious crime," Jenkins said in a news release.  "Communities are under siege by rampant, open-air drug dealing and we must do everything we can to protect public safety and ensure that there are consequences for suspected drug dealers."

Following Diaz-Morazan's arrest, San Francisco narcotics officers along with agents of the US Drug Enforcement Agency served a search warrant at a residence in Oakland that resulted in the seizure of just over 11 pounds of fentanyl, as well as 95.8 grams of methamphetamine, a hydraulic press, packaging materials and heavy-duty respirators.

Diaz-Morazan has been in custody since his arrest on April 25th.  He was arraigned on Thursday.  The preliminary hearing has been scheduled for May 10, 2023.  

Prosecutors also filed a motion to detain because of the extreme public safety risk he poses which will be ruled on May 10th.  In the meanwhile, the defendant will remain in custody with no bail set. 

Diaz-Morazan is also facing charges for sales of fentanyl and methamphetamine to an undercover San Francisco narcotics officer on April 3, 4 and 11.  He will be arraigned on those charges on Friday.

If convicted of all charges in both cases, he faces more than nine years in state prison. 

Although charges have been filed, this remains an active investigation.  Anyone with information is asked to call the San Francisco Police Department Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.  You may remain anonymous.