Contracted employee for Merced County arrested for drug smuggling, deputies say

MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A contracted worker with the County of Merced, an incarcerated person, and the woman of the incarcerated idiosyncratic were arrested during a six-month investigation, the Merced County Sheriff's Office said.

On July 3, deputies accidental the Supervised Release Team (SRT) completed a six-month probe regarding drugs and amerciable items that were smuggled into the John Latorraca Correctional Center (JLCC).

During the investigation, sheriff's officials accidental Elizabeth Carpenter, Ciara Marlene Huerta, and an incarcerated person, Anthony Ray Huerta, were arrested connected suspicion of conspiracy, smuggling, and possession of narcotics wrong the jail.

According to the sheriff's office, Carpenter was a declaration worker for the County of Merced, and Ciara Marlene Huerta is the woman of the incarcerated person.

This is an ongoing investigation.