Latest news with #CabrilloHighSchool
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Police warn illicit drugs are labeled with emojis on social media. Here's a breakdown of those drug emojis
Law enforcement officials warn that social media sites are increasingly being used as storefronts for illicit drug sales, and emojis — those cute tiny symbols and characters — are being used as codes names for drugs that are available for purchase. An investigation into a case in Lompoc prompted authorities to break down the meaning of the emojis to help the public decode the illicit transactions. The drug case involved several students from Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, in the northeastern Santa Barbara County, who fell ill after ingesting edible cannabis products in February, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, which issued a warning about online drug sales this week. The sheriff's office did not specify how many students were involved in the incident or what kind of cannabis products the students ate. Detectives from the sheriff's Cannabis Compliance Team and the school's resource deputy launched an investigation into the incident and determined that a 15-year-old student was provided edible cannabis products by an adult, Flor Yudith Zamora, 21, of Lompoc. The 15-year-old brought the cannabis products to the high school where the teen shared it with other students. Upon further investigation, detectives found that Zamora was using an Instagram account called " to sell cannabis products, psilocybin (also known as "shrooms"), nicotine products, codeine (an opiate) and alcohol to underaged children, according to authorities. In payments transactions and messages about the products, detectives found that emojis were used to identify the drugs that were being sold. The emojis were used in the discussions about payments sent to Zamora using Zelle and Cash App, services that allow peer-to-peer payments. In 2021, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had investigated more than 80 cases involving drug trafficking on internet apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube. Available drugs were advertised on these apps in stories that disappeared within 24 hours and in posts that were removed after a certain amount of time, according to the federal agency. Read more: Parents are blaming Snapchat for their teens' fentanyl deaths. Will an L.A. lawsuit shape the future of social media? In a published report, the agency found that once contact was made by commenting on a post or directly messaging the social media account, the conversation was then moved to encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram. Once a deal was made, drug sellers requested payment using peer-to-peer transaction services such as Venmo, Zelle, Cash App and Remitly. Officials from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office are asking parents to review their children's social media accounts for suspicious activity or unfamiliar contacts. "Talk to them about the dangers of illegal drug activity and the risks of engaging with unknown individuals online," the sheriff's office said in a statement. Anyone with information that could be helpful in this case is encouraged to contact the sheriff's Cannabis Compliance Team at (805) 681-4150 or by email at cannabistips@ Anonymous tips can be made by calling the office's tip line at (805) 681-4171 or online at Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Police warn illicit drugs are labeled with emojis on social media. Here's a breakdown of those drug emojis
Law enforcement officials warn that social media sites are increasingly being used as storefronts for illicit drug sales, and emojis — those cute tiny symbols and characters — are being used as codes names for drugs that are available for purchase. An investigation into a case in Lompoc prompted authorities to break down the meaning of the emojis to help the public decode the illicit transactions. The drug case involved several students from Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, in the northeastern Santa Barbara County, who fell ill after ingesting edible cannabis products in February, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, which issued a warning about online drug sales this week. The sheriff's office did not specify how many students were involved in the incident or what kind of cannabis products the students ate. Detectives from the sheriff's Cannabis Compliance Team and the school's resource deputy launched an investigation into the incident and determined that a 15-year-old student was provided edible cannabis products by an adult, Flor Yudith Zamora, 21, of Lompoc. The 15-year-old brought the cannabis products to the high school where the teen shared it with other students. Upon further investigation, detectives found that Zamora was using an Instagram account called ' to sell cannabis products, psilocybin (also known as 'shrooms'), nicotine products, codeine (an opiate) and alcohol to underaged children, according to authorities. In payments transactions and messages about the products, detectives found that emojis were used to identify the drugs that were being sold. The emojis were used in the discussions about payments sent to Zamora using Zelle and Cash App, services that allow peer-to-peer payments. In 2021, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had investigated more than 80 cases involving drug trafficking on internet apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube. Available drugs were advertised on these apps in stories that disappeared within 24 hours and in posts that were removed after a certain amount of time, according to the federal agency. In a published report, the agency found that once contact was made by commenting on a post or directly messaging the social media account, the conversation was then moved to encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram. Once a deal was made, drug sellers requested payment using peer-to-peer transaction services such as Venmo, Zelle, Cash App and Remitly. Officials from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office are asking parents to review their children's social media accounts for suspicious activity or unfamiliar contacts. 'Talk to them about the dangers of illegal drug activity and the risks of engaging with unknown individuals online,' the sheriff's office said in a statement. Anyone with information that could be helpful in this case is encouraged to contact the sheriff's Cannabis Compliance Team at (805) 681-4150 or by email at cannabistips@ Anonymous tips can be made by calling the office's tip line at (805) 681-4171 or online at
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Long Beach Students Use T-Shirts to Spell Racial Slur, But Wait To You Hear The School's Response
A disturbing photo of high school students has parents and community leaders outraged after it went viral. Now, the Long Beach community is calling the Long Beach Unified School District to get to the bottom of things. It all started when a student at Cabrillo High School showed the photo to his mother. 'Yesterday my son showed me a picture circulating online of students at Cabrillo high school where ASB students gather together to form a derogatory statement in their shirts,' the parent wrote on social media, according to Fox 11 News. The photo, which appears was taken during a school assembly in the gym, shows eight students— none of whom appear to be Black— all wearing t-shirts that spell out 'i <3 n*gers.' The parent continued saying, '100s of parents were outraged as we have been emailing the district and school just to be hit with vague and AI-like responses.' It's unclear when exactly the photo was taken, but apparently, none of the students involved received any disciplinary actions directly after the spectacle. 'We are truly destroyed that our students have to walk along this excuse for people because my son said he seen all the students the next day attending school like it never happened,' the parent concluded. Now, the photo has gone viral online, with folks from all over wondering how exactly this could've happened. 'What was the purpose? Like, really, what's their end game,' @Shiv31 wrote on X. Another user pointed out how the students misspelled the racial slur saying, 'More like tried to spell the N word but clearly didn't learn in school.' @shadowhikari2 continued saying, 'Anyways lol suspensions all around if we're being serious.' Now, civil rights and other community groups like the Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches and Project Islamic Hope, are demanding answers from Superintendent Dr. Jill Baker, according to Fox 11. The district released a statement obtained by NBC 4 News apologizing. 'This conduct is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our school or district. We sincerely apologize for the harm this has caused to our community,' the statement said. Cabrillo High School said the conduct was 'unacceptable' and went on to apologize for the harm it caused. 'We want to be clear: this type of behavior is not condoned or tolerated at Cabrillo High School or anywhere in our district,' the school's administration said in a statement. 'Immediate steps are being taken to address the situation, and we are working with all relevant parties to ensure accountability.' A formal investigation into the incident is underway. The school also urged students sharing the photo online to be aware of the real damage it can cause. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Southern California high school issues apology after students pose for racist photo
The Brief Cabrillo High School has issued an apology after students posted a racist photo on social media. The photo appears to have been taken during a school assembly. Civil rights groups are demanding accountability and answers from the LBUSD superintendent. LONG BEACH, Calif. - Cabrillo High School in Long Beach has issued an apology after students posed for a racist photo that went viral on social media. What we know The photo, which was apparently taken during a school assembly in the gym, shows students wearing t-shirts that spell out a racial slur. One parent who saw the photo took to social media to express his anger over the incident. "Yesterday my son showed me a picture circulating online of students at Cabrillo high school where ASB students gather together to form a derogatory statement in their shirts. 100s of parents were outraged as we have been emailing the district and school just to be hit with vague and AI-like responses. We are truly destroyed that our students have to walk along this excuse for people because my son said he seen all the students the next day attending school like it never happened." Civil rights groups, including Los Angeles Metropolitan Churches and Project Islamic Hope, have demanded accountability and answers from Superintendent Dr. Jill Baker. What they're saying The Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) issued a statement expressing deep disappointment at the "disturbing and offensive photo." "This conduct is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our school or district. We sincerely apologize for the harm this has caused to our community," the statement read. "We want to be clear: this type of behavior is not condoned or tolerated at Cabrillo High School or anywhere in our district. Immediate steps are being taken to address the situation, and we are working with all relevant parties to ensure are aware that this photo is currently being shared among students on social media. We ask that all members of our school community be mindful of the harm that sharing such images can cause and encourage open, thoughtful discussions about the impact of their actions." What we don't know It's unclear when the picture was taken and if the students in the photo are facing any repercussions. What's next The school is currently investigating the incident and is reminding students to report any inappropriate behavior. The Source Information for this story is from a statement from the Long Beach Unified School District.
