Press Release: ABC and Monterey County Sheriff's Office Arrest 3 For Purchasing Alcohol for Minors During Decoy Operation

DATE/TIME: 5/11/26 at 12:00 PM

TYPE OF INCIDENT: Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and ABC Agents Arrest Three Suspects for Furnishing Alcohol to Minors As Part of Grant Funded “Shoulder Tap” Operation

MEDIA CONTACT: Andres Rosas, Commander; Phone: 831-261-5492; Email: rosasae@countyofmonterey.gov

Monterey County Sheriff’s Office arrested three suspects on Saturday, May 9, 2026, for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors. The operation was conducted in Seaside, CA and Marina, CA and included a unique situation in which both the buyer and seller of alcohol were cited during a single incident.

ABC agents and Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a Shoulder Tap operation which targets adults who purchase alcohol for persons under the age of 21. A minor under the direct supervision of law enforcement stands outside of a liquor or convenience store and asks customers to buy them alcohol. The minor also indicates they are underage and cannot purchase alcohol.

If an adult agrees to purchase alcohol for the underage person, they can be arrested and cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

At about 1:00 PM, a male subject approached a business on the 1100 block of Fremont Blvd in Seaside. The decoys asked a male that approached the business if he would buy them alcohol after stating that they were underage and could not purchase it themselves. The male agreed and purchased the alcohol and provided it to the minors. Luis Velazquez of Seaside was contacted and issued a citation for providing alcohol to the minor. During the investigation, it was determined that Velazquez was only 19 years old and had purchased the alcohol without presenting identification to the clerk. The clerk, identified as Ha Kim, was subsequently issued a citation for sales of alcohol to a person under 21.

At about 3:30 PM the same day, 37-year-old Hassan Beyah of Monterey purchased and provided alcohol to a minor decoy at a business along the 2700 block of Imjin Parkway in Marina. He was issued a citation for furnishing alcohol to a minor.

Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto stated, “We are grateful to ABC which provides the grant funding for these operations that help keep alcohol out of our youth’s hands. We want everyone to know about these shoulder tap operations and think twice before having any thoughts of irresponsibly purchasing alcohol for anyone under the age of 21. We have a collaborative responsibility to protect our youth.”

Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. About 25 percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the ABC Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) program.

About the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

The mission of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is to provide the highest level of service and public safety to the people of the State through licensing, education, and enforcement.