Officials investigate the scene of a vehicle chase and shootout at SanTan Motorplex in Gilbert on April 30, 2021. Chandler Police Death
Yuba County, California – A 25-year-old police officer was killed in a shootout during a multi-agency crackdown on transnational drug trafficking organizations, California officials confirmed Wednesday.
Marysville Police Department Officer Osmar Rodarte, an Army veteran, was fatally wounded during an operation targeting the infiltration of methamphetamine and fentanyl into the United States. The officer died while participating in a drug bust that was part of a years-long investigation into the trafficking of illicit substances.
Yuba County District Attorney Clint Curry stated in a Wednesday press conference that law enforcement agencies executed 20 search warrants across Yuba, Sutter, Tehama, and Butte counties as part of the operation. During a search at one of the targeted residences, an exchange of gunfire erupted, and Officer Rodarte was critically injured, according to Yuba County Sheriff Wendell Anderson.
Rodarte was rushed to Adventist Health and Rideout hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
“Obviously, this tragedy has rocked our small community,” Sheriff Anderson said.
Authorities confirmed that the gunman responsible for Rodarte’s death was shot and killed at the scene. Another individual inside the house at the time of the shootout is currently being treated as a witness, Curry said.
The incident marks the first time in over a century that a Marysville police officer has been killed in the line of duty. Authorities have not yet released Rodarte’s name officially, pending notification of his next of kin.
California State Assemblyman James Gallagher of Sutter County addressed the tragedy on social media, emphasizing Rodarte’s role in the fight against cartel drug trafficking.
“The young officer was part of a multi-agency action that was going after cartel drug trafficking in the area,” Gallagher wrote. “He was trying to snuff out the poison that has been brought into our communities by transnational gangs.”
Before the execution of the search warrants, law enforcement had already seized hundreds of pounds of narcotics, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, officials said.
“These were major players moving poison through our communities,” Curry said. “And we couldn’t just sit and watch it happen. We had to do something about it. And it’s just tragic. All of us would just ask that you be praying for the officer’s family and for this law enforcement community that’s also grieving today.”
Authorities continue to investigate the broader drug trafficking operation, and further details may emerge as the case unfolds. The loss of Officer Rodarte has left a profound impact on the Marysville Police Department and the surrounding community, as they mourn the fallen officer who gave his life in service.
