These defendants were affiliated with various trafficking organizations that formed a vast network supplying Imperial County, CA.
Federal agents in California and across the western United States have arrested and charged dozens of individuals allegedly connected to the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico's most powerful drug trafficking organizations. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced this week that 14 indictments were unsealed, charging 47 individuals involved in a fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution network based in Imperial Valley, California.
The Sinaloa Cartel, known for its significant role in global drug trafficking, has been a primary focus for U.S. law enforcement, especially since the incarceration of its former leader, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who is serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison.
Describing the operation as a “coordinated takedown,” the DOJ reported that more than 400 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials arrested 36 defendants and executed 25 search warrants across locations including Imperial County, San Diego, Fresno, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Salem, Oregon. As of Wednesday afternoon, authorities were still searching for 11 fugitives.
Court records reveal that in June 2021, agents seized two pounds of methamphetamine along with a stockpile of ghost guns and ammunition. This included 15 lower receivers, three upper receivers, multiple barrels and stocks, 18 magazines, 40 rounds of Luger 9mm, and about 400 rounds of .223 Red Army ammunition, all of which lacked identifying serial numbers.
According to the DOJ, wiretap evidence indicated that defendant Cory Gershen supplied ghost guns to other members of the organization in exchange for methamphetamine. The investigation also uncovered that assault rifles were intended for the cartel's supply source in Mexico.
On the same day in June 2021, agents seized additional ghost guns, ammunition, and methamphetamine from another member of the drug trafficking organization. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), they confiscated two AR-style ghost guns, a Colt .380 semiautomatic handgun, and additional Russian rifle ammunition from Guadalupe Molina-Flores, an alleged member of the group. A search of Molina-Flores' residence yielded 309.4 grams (0.68 pounds) of methamphetamine.
The DOJ also highlighted a concerning trend: the price of fentanyl pills has sharply decreased. In June 2021, the pills were being sold for approximately $1.65 to $1.75 each in Imperial Valley. By December 2021, the price dropped to about $1.25, and by May, the cost plummeted to just 45 cents per pill—less than a third of the price from three years earlier. This decline reflects an increase in supply and availability of fentanyl being smuggled into the U.S. and the close connections between the investigation's targets and their Sinaloa Cartel suppliers.
The DOJ’s announcement detailed the extensive impact of the operation: authorities have seized more than four kilograms of fentanyl, equivalent to around two million potentially fatal doses, over 324 kilograms (714 pounds) of methamphetamine, significant amounts of copyright and heroin, and 52 firearms. The investigation also led to the arrest of Alexander Grindley, a U.S. Border Patrol agent, for alleged methamphetamine trafficking, as well as multiple spin-off investigations in various jurisdictions. The crimes charged include drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearm offenses, with defendants operating throughout the Imperial Valley and in Mexicali, Mexico.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that this operation dealt "yet another blow to the Sinaloa Cartel and its associates." He expressed gratitude to the over 400 law enforcement officers involved, emphasizing their commitment to protecting American communities from cartel activity.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas added that his department, along with federal, state, and local partners, is unwavering in its efforts to keep deadly fentanyl off the streets and bring traffickers to justice.
“Today’s unsealed indictments are the direct outcome of our coordinated and multifaceted law enforcement strategy—leveraging all available government resources and capabilities. Together, we are preventing the production, distribution, and consumption of fentanyl and other lethal drugs, ultimately saving countless lives,” Mayorkas stated.