Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Walter Garcia-Ruiz, 37, of Stockton, has been sentenced to 12 years and seven months in federal prison for his involvement in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez.
Court documents state that between May 2019 and December 2020, Garcia-Ruiz participated in a methamphetamine trafficking operation with several others: Jesus Horacio Ramirez Hernandez of El Monte; and Stockton residents Fernando Aldama Tinoco, Geovany Espinoza Norzagaray, and Neftali Castillo Montes. During the investigation, authorities determined that Montes sold more than 14 pounds of methamphetamine to an FBI confidential source. Investigative methods including surveillance and wiretaps identified Garcia-Ruiz, Norzagaray, Tinoco, and Hernandez as higher-level distributors within the organization. Garcia-Ruiz was found to have personally supplied at least 10.9 pounds of methamphetamine.
A search conducted at a storage unit under Tinoco's control led to the seizure of 33 pounds of methamphetamine, seven pounds of cocaine, and two pounds of counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl.
The case resulted from an investigation by multiple agencies: the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tracy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
Montes received a five-year prison sentence on April 15, 2025 for his role in the conspiracy. Hernandez pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025; he is scheduled for sentencing on October 21, 2025 before Judge Mueller and faces up to life in prison along with a possible $10 million fine. "The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables," according to officials.
Co-defendants Tinoco and Espinoza still face charges related to this case; they are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, both could receive up to life in prison and a $10 million fine each. As stated by authorities: "Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables."
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations through coordinated multi-agency efforts led by prosecutors using intelligence-driven strategies. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
