A Porterville man wanted on a felony warrant was arrested earlier this month, leading investigators to seize multiple firearms, including ghost guns, ammunition and methamphetamine, authorities said.

On Jan. 9, members of the Tulare County Agencies Regional Gun Violence Enforcement Team, working with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department’s Tulare Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team, arrested Mark Anthony Garza, 38, on an outstanding felony warrant, according to Visalia police.

Authorities said Garza had been evading law enforcement since 2019, when he was convicted in Santa Clara County of being a felon in possession of a firearm and placed on probation.

After the arrest, investigators searched Garza’s residence and seized five firearms, about 250 rounds of ammunition, four large-capacity magazines, and 177 grams of methamphetamine packaged for sale.

Two of the firearms were privately manufactured, unserialized “ghost guns” built in the style of AR-15 rifles, police said.

Garza was booked into the Tulare County South County Detention Facility on the felony warrant and additional charges, including possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of an assault weapon, possession of a short-barreled rifle, possession of an unserialized firearm, possession of large-capacity magazines, possession of a controlled substance for sale and possession of a controlled substance for sale while armed.

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