A Pleasant Grove couple has been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a drug trafficking operation, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas.
Holly Candice Lopez, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. She was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III to life in federal prison on August 27, 2025.
Ricardo Ruiz, 30, also pleaded guilty to the same charges and received a sentence of 376 months in federal prison from Judge Mazzant on the same day.
Court documents showed that Ruiz and Lopez were leaders of a drug trafficking organization based in Pleasant Grove. They distributed large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine using at least five stash houses in the area. The narcotics were imported into the United States from Mexico before being stored and distributed locally.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, which is described as "a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime." According to officials: "Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)."
Multiple agencies contributed to investigating this case including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Dallas Police Department, Mesquite Police Department, McKinney Police Department, Rowlett Police Department, Lewisville Police Department, and Denton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul B. Morris prosecuted the case.
