Officer Osmar Rodarte of the Marysville Police Department was fatally shot Wednesday morning while serving a search warrant tied to a transnational drug investigation. The raid, conducted by the Yuba-Sutter Regional SWAT team, occurred at a residence on Kestrel Court in Olivehurst as part of a years-long effort to dismantle a drug trafficking network moving methamphetamine and fentanyl from Mexico into California.
Rodarte, 26, was struck by gunfire upon entering the residence and later succumbed to his injuries at Rideout Hospital. The suspect involved in the shootout was killed at the scene, authorities confirmed. No other injuries were reported, although another individual at the residence was detained for questioning and subsequently released.
“This is a sad day in the city of Marysville,” Police Chief Christian Sachs said during a press conference. “We lost an officer today who was near and dear to our hearts.” Rodarte, a U.S. Army veteran, had served with the department for two years. His death marks the first line-of-duty fatality for the Marysville Police Department in over a century.
The operation was part of an investigation led by the NET-5 narcotics task force targeting major players in drug trafficking. Yuba County District Attorney Clint Curry stated that hundreds of pounds of narcotics and over $150,000 in cash had been seized prior to Wednesday’s raid.
A public procession honoring Officer Rodarte is scheduled for Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m., beginning at Lakeside Chapel in Marysville and continuing through Placer County. The shooting is under investigation by the Yuba-Sutter Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Team.
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