For the second time this month, deputies have arrested a Santa Maria man on suspicion of illegally selling cannabis products to youths via social media.

The latest arrest occurred April 22 when Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office detectives from the Cannabis Compliance Team served a search warrant at a residence in the 300 block of East Bunny Avenue in Santa Maria, spokeswoman Raquel Zick said. 

They arrested Alexis Silviano Vazquez Guzman, 23, of Santa Maria for illicit marijuana sales as well as a weapons violation .

Law enforcement officers seized approximately 1,104 THC vaporizer pens/cartridges, 335 pre-rolled cannabis joints, 34 packs of THC edibles, 33 miscellaneous battery packs/pods for THC vaporizer pens, approximately 3 pounds of cannabis flower, one handgun lacking a serial number, and approximately $37,597 in cash, Zick said. 

“Detectives believe that, similar to a previous case, these marijuana products were purchased legally with the intent to resell without a license, via delivery, often to minors using social media apps,” Zick said. 

On April 3, the Cannabis Compliance Team arrested another Santa Maria man for marijuana sales to minors.

That investigation began in January 2025, when a parent contacted the Sheriff’s Office to report that her child had purchased nicotine vapes through the social media app Snapchat. 

Detectives traced the Snapchat account to Jose Luis Maya, 23, of Santa Maria. They established that he had a significant marijuana and vape re-sale business where he sold product that he purchased legally, at a markup, primarily to minors, Zick said.

“Known by his username ‘Mr. Maya’ he would coordinate delivery sales to customers he knew to be minors through the app,” Zick said. 

At approximately 12:30 p.m. April 1, detectives arrested Maya at his residence in the 1300 block of Ronald Place in Santa Maria.

He was booked at the Northern Branch Jail for suspicion of selling marijuana to a minor as well as a violation of probation. He faced similar charges in 2022 and was on probation for that case through November 2025. 

He is being held without bail in the county jail. 

Maya’s Snapchat account has since been deactivated, but detectives encourage parents, especially in the Orcutt and Santa Maria area, to check their children’s accounts to see if they were in contact with Maya, sheriff’s officials said. 

Vazquez Guzman, who was arrested last week, was booked at the Northern Branch Jail for assorted felonies and misdemeanor crimes including selling marijuana to a minor, possess for sales to a minor, possession of a firearm without a serial number, and unsafe storage of a firearm. 

Vazquez Guzman has since been released on bail. 

“In addition to protecting consumers and the integrity of the legal cannabis market, arresting suspects involved in illegal sales helps prevent organized crime and the associated violence that often accompanies illicit drug trade,” Zick said. 

Recreational cannabis products are legal in California for adults 21 and older.

Arrests for illegal marijuana sales make up an essential element in maintaining a well-regulated and responsible cannabis industry, authorities added.

Tips to help parents recognize when their child may be using social media to purchase cannabis products can be found by clicking here.

Anyone with information related to either case can contact the Cannabis Compliance Team at 805.681.4150. 

To remain anonymous when providing information call the tip line at 805.681.4171 or online at SBSheriff.org.