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Press Release

Five Indicted for Drug Trafficking

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 14-count indictment today against Jesus Horacio Ramirez Hernandez, 40; Fernando Aldama Tinoco, 48; Walter Garcia-Ruiz, 34; Geovany Espinoza Norzagaray, 33; and Neftali Castillo Montes, 40; charging them with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and unlawful use of a cellphone, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Montes sold an FBI confidential source over 14 pounds of methamphetamine between May 2019 and December 2020. Surveillance, wiretaps, and additional investigation uncovered Garcia-Ruiz, Norzagaray, Tinoco, and Hernandez as higher-level distributors. A search of a storage unit controlled by Tinoco resulted in the discovery of 33 pounds of methamphetamine, 7 pounds of cocaine, and 2 pounds of counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl. Tinoco is additionally charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.

This case is the product of an investigation by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Customs and Borders 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.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Updated June 16, 2022

Topic
Drug Trafficking