EDC homicide at pot cultivation site with ties to Mexican drug cartel

A marijuana cultivation site that has ties to a Mexican drug cartel has now been identified as the scene of an El Dorado County murder.

On August 21, 2018, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office (EDSO) responded to a call of a man that was found with a gunshot wound at 2:15 a.m. The person reporting the crime alleged the man was found on the side of the roadway and driven to the parking lot of the El Dorado Savings Bank in Georgetown. The victim was transported by air ambulance to a nearby hospital with life threatening injuries. After five days in the hospital, the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased on August 26.

The victim has been positively identified as Miguel Cazares Robles, a 30-year-old from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Investigation into the incident by EDSO detectives found that the shooting took place at a marijuana cultivation site near Georgetown that they believe to have ties to a Mexican drug cartel.

Detectives have been able to positively identify one of the suspects as Jesus Martin Munoz Castro, a 23-year-old out of Sinaloa, Mexico. Jesus is a Hispanic male, 5’10” tall and 150 pounds with black hair and blue eyes. Detectives are still working to identify multiple others involved and it is not believed that Jesus, or the others, are still in the area.

An arrest warrant has been issued for the arrest of Castro. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should contact EDSO at (530) 621-6600.