The Ventura County Fentanyl and Overdose Crimes Units (VC FOCUS) concluded a narcotics sales investigation with the arrest of two Canoga Park residents for narcotics and firearms crimes.
In December 2024, VC FOCUS detectives first learned that Vincent Brock and Kathy Taing were involved in the sale of counterfeit M-30 (opioid) pills containing fentanyl to Ventura County residents. Over the next several months, detectives conducted covert surveillance of the couple and observed multiple narcotics sales within Ventura County.
On February 20, 2025, detectives detained Brock and Taing in front of their residence in Canoga Park and served a search warrant at their apartment. Detectives seized over 5000 counterfeit M-30 Pills, several bottles of Promethazine, over $6000 in suspected illicit proceeds and a concealed loaded handgun.
Brock and Taing were arrested for a variety of drug and firearm charges including Possession for Sales of Controlled Substances, Sales of a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Controlled Substance While Armed with a Firearm, Possession of a Concealed Firearm and Conspiracy. Both subjects were booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility. Taing posted bail and was later released. Brock remains in custody on $55,000 bail.
VC FOCUS is a task force made up of Ventura County regional law enforcement agencies including the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Simi Valley Police Department, Oxnard Police Department, Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol, as well as federal law enforcement partners. The primary mission of this partnership is to combat fentanyl related crimes and opioid overdoses by targeting the supply chain of individuals and criminal organizations responsible for the sales of these drugs into Ventura County. In addition, the task force works to identify new trends of abuse among the younger population and educate the community at large on the lethal danger of this epidemic.
Fentanyl is an extremely powerful synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. As little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose of this deadly drug. Counterfeit pharmaceutical pills are highly abused and often contribute to fatal and non-fatal overdoses within Ventura County. These counterfeit pills are mass produced by drug cartels and sold throughout the United States for large profits. The pills look identical to legitimate medications and are frequently mixed with fentanyl. Analysis by United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has shown that as many as six out of every ten pills seized by law enforcement agencies across the United States are counterfeit and contain fentanyl, making them extremely dangerous to the community.
VC FOCUS has partnered with Ventura County Behavioral Health as an active member of the County Overdose Awareness & Solutions Team (COAST) in a campaign to reduce overdoses and educate the public about the dangers of opioids and other drugs. Comprehensive information can be found at www.ThinkAgainVC.com and www.dea.gov/onepill .
The public may contact investigators from the VC FOCUS at (805) 383-8700 or VCFOCUS@ventura.org with additional information about this case, or any other information related to narcotics.
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