Months of undercover work by Santa Clara County sheriff's detectives ended yesterday in a San Jose apartment, where investigators say they seized a sizable stash of fentanyl, meth and drug-dealing gear from two men now in custody or detention.
Officials identified the men as 53-year-old Burt Nakao and 38-year-old Chad Matthieu. Deputies report recovering more than 100 grams of powdered fentanyl, roughly 68 grams of methamphetamine, multiple digital scales, packaging materials, and other paraphernalia.
In a post on the department's page, investigators wrote that for months, our covert investigations unit has been zeroing in on a suspected fentanyl dealer and that a search of an apartment in San Jose produced the haul. According to the post, Matthieu was arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail, while Nakao, who the office said was wanted on a burglary warrant, was detained at the scene. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said detectives also recovered packaging materials, scales and other paraphernalia.
What deputies say they recovered
Deputies described items commonly associated with drug distribution, including digital scales, packaging materials and other paraphernalia alongside the fentanyl and meth. Powdered fentanyl in the quantities reported can be extraordinarily dangerous; even tiny amounts are lethal, and public-health officials say fentanyl is increasingly found mixed into other street drugs.
Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services warns that powdered fentanyl is often pressed into counterfeit pills or used to lace meth and other substances, a trend tied to rising overdose deaths across the county. That context helps explain why local law enforcement keeps putting serious resources into fentanyl investigations.
Part of a broader enforcement push
The sheriff's announcement arrives amid a broader, ongoing effort to disrupt drug supply lines in the South Bay. In March, deputies said they dismantled an alleged pipeline that was sending meth into the Elmwood Correctional Facility and seized large quantities of meth in a separate probe. Hoodline coverage of that earlier operation is available in the Elmwood jail drug pipeline article.
Legal status
According to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, Matthieu was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail and Nakao was wanted on a burglary warrant; the post did not list formal charges. The County District Attorney will review the investigation and decide whether to file criminal charges.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office website has contact details and tip lines.
