Law enforcement targets drug sales to minors via social media

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Local cannabis compliance detectives flag flame, cloud, and maple leaf emojis when browsing social media platforms.

Keeping up with coded references to cannabis was a crucial component of a six-week investigation that led the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office to arrest Santa Maria resident Alexis Silviano Vazquez Guzman on April 22 on suspicion of selling marijuana to a minor, owning a handgun without a serial number, and other crimes.

County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Raquel Zick told the Sun via email that Instagram was the primary app the department’s Cannabis Compliance Team used to investigate Vazquez Guzman. The team regularly uses Snapchat and Telegram during these types of cases as well, Zick added.

The Cannabis Compliance Team declined the Sun’s request for comment.

According to an April 28 statement from the Sheriff’s Office, detectives believe that Vazquez Guzman, 23, purchased various marijuana products legally with the intent to resell them, “often to minors using social media apps.”

To encourage parents to look out for signs that a child may be using social media to purchase cannabis products, the Sheriff’s Office released a list of slang terms, such as “trees,” “plugs,” “gas,” and “loud,” along with tips on how to intervene early and effectively.

The Santa Maria Police Department recently took on a similar initiative to inform parents of recent youth trends related to drug use and gang activity. In mid-April, the department’s Community Services Unit partnered with the Santa Maria-Bonita School District to host parent forums at local junior high schools.

Santa Maria Police Sgt. Felix Diaz, who leads these ongoing meetings, told the Sun that it’s important for both parents and law enforcement to frequently monitor social media trends because they can change or evolve rapidly.

“Staying ahead of that culture on our end is kind of vital,” said Diaz, who’s worked with the Police Department for 17 years and in its Community Services Unit for the past two years.

Over recent years, Diaz has observed suspected criminals code firearms and drug paraphernalia as “random, different things to try to disguise what they’re doing” on social media.

“Sometimes they’ll refer to guns as toys,” Diaz said. “They’ll [comment], ‘You have the toy?’ Or, “Can I get the toy?’ That kind of stuff.”

During the forums, he sets up a table to display drugs and drug paraphernalia for parents to view and familiarize themselves with, including vape pens of different brands and flavors. When Vazquez Guzman was arrested, Sheriff’s Office detectives seized more than 1,000 vape pens from his home.

Diaz will lead two more upcoming forums for local parents, on May 1 at Fesler Junior High School and May 6 at Arellanes Junior High School, both from 6 to 8 p.m.

Tammie Castillo-Shiffer, Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s Director of Mulitlingual Services, described the district’s recent collaboration with the Police Department as an effort to “encourage proactive parenting.”

“The forums are built around the belief that ensuring the safety and well-being of students requires strong partnership between families, schools, law enforcement, and the broader community,” Castillo-Shiffer told the Sun via email. “By working together, we can create a supportive network that not only protects young people but also helps them thrive.”

This article appears in May 1-11, 2025.