San Francisco, CA – Today, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced that nine individuals were charged in connection to suspected drug dealing in the Tenderloin. Five of the nine suspects charged were alleged to have been arrested for drug dealing in the Tenderloin while released on their own recognizance by the court in other felony narcotics cases.

“Open-air drug markets in the Tenderloin and SOMA pose grave public safety risks and all levels of government must work together to protect this community and the safety of the public,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “I would like to thank the San Francisco Police Department and all of our law enforcement partners on the ground who are working together, day and night, to identify and arrest suspected drug traffickers. My office will do everything in our power to fight for justice in the courtroom to ensure there is accountability and consequences.”

All nine suspects were arraigned on January 26, 2024, and each pleaded not guilty to their specific charges and allegations in San Francisco Superior Court. Each individual is alleged to have sold drugs to undercover San Francisco Police officers.

The District Attorney’s Office moved to detain seven of the nine individuals pending trial because of the public safety risk they pose. The court granted the motions to detain without prejudice for six people and set bail for one individual. The court will hear further arguments at the time of the preliminary hearings in those cases.

Four of the five individuals alleged to have been dealing drugs in the Tenderloin while released on their own recognizance were detained; the court set bail in the amount of $50,000 for the other individual. All remain in custody at this time.

Two individuals were released by the court, one with electronic monitoring, a 150 yard stay away order from the corner of Ellis Street and Hyde Street and search conditions and the other with a 150 yard stay away order from Eddy Street and Larkin Street.

In 2023, the District Attorney’s Office was presented with and filed the most felony narcotics cases since 2018 with 998 cases presented and 867 cases filed. In 2023, 323 felony narcotics cases were convicted or pled guilty to another felony charge.

Currently, there are more cases in bench warrant status (755) than pending before the court (579). As of January 18, 2024, there are 567 individuals with open bench warrants who failed to appear for narcotics sales cases who were released by the court. 146 of these individuals in bench warrant status have more than one open case. Seven individuals have four open cases and one individual has five open cases.

Since District Attorney Jenkins took office the District Attorney’s Office has filed 411 motions to detain the most egregious drug dealing suspects because of the extreme public safety risk they pose. Of the 411 detention motions filed, the court has granted 38. In 2023 365 motions to detain suspected drug dealers were filed. So far in 2024, more than 40 have already been filed.

Court Number: 

Aguilar-Dominguez, 24001426

Artiaga-Aguilar, 24001410

Cruz, 24001408

Escoto, 24001409

Espinoza-Olibas, 24001398, released with stay away order and search condition.

Maradiaga, 24001401

Maradiaga-Gaitan, 24001423

Zuniga-Hernandez, 24001402

Vasquez-Vasquez, 24001411, released with electronic monitoring, stay away order and search condition.

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