Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
A federal jury has returned guilty verdicts against two individuals involved in a firearm and drug trafficking conspiracy. Angel Lopez, 47, from Southern California, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Rochlem Eric Aquino Yadao, 48, from Santa Maria, was convicted of conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith.
The trial revealed that Lopez and Yadao were engaged in separate conspiracies related to drug and gun trafficking. In March 2020, Lopez arranged the sale of five pounds of methamphetamine. The transaction occurred in a parking lot outside Disneyland, where an associate delivered the drugs to a buyer. Law enforcement later intercepted the methamphetamine during a traffic stop.
In the same year, multiple individuals conspired to illegally sell firearms across Fresno, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties. Between March and August 2020, authorities seized firearms from four different transactions. One such deal took place at Yadao's residence in Santa Maria in April 2020, involving two AR-style rifles without serial numbers—known as "ghost guns." Yadao stored and delivered these weapons without possessing a license.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with support from several law enforcement agencies including the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie M. Stokman and Cody S. Chapple are handling the prosecution.
Sentencing for Lopez and Yadao is set for August 25, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. Lopez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years up to life imprisonment while Yadao could receive up to ten years.
This case falls under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative which targets high-level criminal organizations through coordinated efforts among various agencies.
