California officer killed during raid tied to transnational drug organization

A police officer was shot and killed during a law enforcement operation in Northern California, according to officials.

The officer, identified as Osmar Rodarte, was part of a multi-agency SWAT team executing a search warrant tied to a major drug trafficking investigation.

The incident occurred on Wednesday morning at a residence on Kestrel Court in Marysville as officers served one of 20 search warrants connected to a years-long investigation into a transnational drug trafficking organization.

According to Yuba County Sheriff Wendell Anderson, members of the Yuba-Sutter Regional SWAT team were met with gunfire upon entering the residence. Officer Rodarte was struck and later died from his injuries at Rideout Hospital. The suspect was killed at the scene.

Officials said another person in the home was detained for questioning and later released. No other injuries were reported during the operation.

“This is a sad day in the city of Marysville,” Police Chief Christian Sachs said at a press conference. “We lost an officer today who is near and dear to our hearts.” Chief Sachs confirmed that Rodarte was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with Marysville Police for two years.

Yuba County District Attorney Clint Curry said the broader investigation, led by the NET-5 narcotics task force, targeted individuals believed to be part of a transnational drug trafficking organization moving methamphetamine and fentanyl from Mexico into California.

“These were major players moving poison through our communities, and we couldn’t just sit and watch it happen,” Curry said. He added that hundreds of pounds of narcotics and over $150,000 in cash had already been seized prior to Wednesday’s operation. Details about today’s operation will be released in the coming days.

The shooting is being investigated separately by the Yuba-Sutter Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Team. Authorities confirmed this marks the first Marysville officer killed in the line of duty in over a century.

A public procession to honor Officer Rodarte is scheduled for Thursday morning, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Lakeside Chapel in Marysville and continuing to Placer County.