Federal authorities have charged 16 individuals across San Diego County in connection with a drug trafficking network distributing large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. The indictments, unsealed in federal court, followed a significant coordinated action involving over 115 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
In a series of raids, 10 defendants were arrested, and three search warrants were executed in the San Diego neighborhoods of Nestor, Palm City, and Encanto. Six individuals remain at large. During the investigation, authorities seized sizeable quantities of drugs including 26.8 kilograms of powdered fentanyl, 5.7 kilograms of counterfeit fentanyl pills, and 25.7 kilograms of methamphetamine. Other items confiscated include cocaine, heroin, ketamine, MDMA, over $40,000 in cash, a Maserati Ghibli, and nine firearms including an AK-47.
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon commented on the operation, stating, “Together with our law enforcement partners, this office will disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations throughout the district. We are focused on the Department’s Take Back America priorities, and this investigation shows the direct results of implementing these priorities.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge, Brian Clark, remarked, “Drug trafficking organizations fuel addiction and erode the safety of our communities. This extensive drug trafficking investigation exposed a criminal network that peddled poison from coast to coast. Law enforcement put their collective authorities together to dismantle this organization brick by brick. We stand with our fellow law enforcement partners to ensure the community is safe and those involved in drug trafficking are brought to justice.”
Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office, highlighted the financial aspect: “The indictments unsealed today paint a picture of an organization responsible for trafficking dangerous drugs into our communities – drugs that are killing Americans daily. These indictments should send a clear signal to drug trafficking organizations that where there’s money, there’s a trail, and IRS-CI is the best in the world at finding and following those trails. We are proud to partner with fellow law enforcement agencies to flush out DTOs that put our communities at risk.”
The investigation spanned 16 months, using wiretaps, undercover officers, and confidential sources. It revealed that the defendants distributed drugs across the country, using shell companies to launder proceeds from states like Colorado, Minnesota, and Nebraska. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Deshong.
Defendants named include Rodrigo Maciel-Cortez, Elijah Roman, Leonela Veronica Leal, Cindy Camarena-Gonzalez, Adan Antonio Sandoval-Luna, Luis Carlos Franco, Jesus Adrian Garcia Jr., Jose Alexander Flores, Andres Emilio Arce-Corrales, and Diego Hernandez, among others. Charges vary but mainly involve conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, possession with intent to distribute, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
The operation was a collaborative effort of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) to combat high-level drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations. This operation is part of Operation Take Back America, which focuses on eliminating cartels, transnational criminal organizations, and violent crime. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program also supported the operation.
