Veggie boxes. Motorcycle seats. Gas tanks.

These are some of the methods a cartel used to smuggle drugs across the Mexican border and into the Central Valley. The local U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that agents busted a drug ring, seizing 12,900 pounds of methamphetamine, 50 pounds of fentanyl mixture, 39 pounds of cocaine, and 22 pounds of heroin.

A multi-agency investigation led by the FBI arrested 22 suspects, mostly from southern California, in “Operation Toxic Waste.” Drugs would be transported in legitimate-looking moving trucks, said the U.S. Attorney for the Fresno area Phillip A. Talbert. Several of the suspects would stash drugs at their homes, before redistributing them in areas such as Fresno and Merced counties.

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U.S. Attorney: Meth Problem Getting Worse

“The methamphetamine trafficking problem has gotten worse and worse. The volume of methamphetamine trafficking here is way up. The purity of the methamphetamine that is being trafficked is way up. And the price of that methamphetamine is way, way down,” Talbert said at a Monday afternoon news conference at the Fresno federal courthouse.

The drug ring — which Talbert did not identify but said could be related to the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels — also used portable projectors and batteries.

“It also snuck hundreds of pounds of liquid methamphetamine across the border in the gas tanks of cars. As law enforcement has been seen, drug trafficking organizations increasingly have been smuggling methamphetamine across the border in liquid form because it’s harder to detect as a liquid,” Talbert said.

The liquid is then converted back to crystal form at “secret conversion labs,” Talbert said.

Not all drugs can be detected at border stops, Talbert said.

The defendants face mostly conspiracy charges. Others are charged with possession and distribution charges.

Agents also seized 35 firearms. More than 200 agents worked at least 18 months on the drug bust.

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The Indictments

According to court documents, the following were indicted by a federal grand jury in Fresno and subsequently arrested based on the allegations below:

• Adolfo Montiel, 45, of Lancaster, was charged in the drug-trafficking conspiracy as well as with distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Between January and March 2023, Montiel used his residence as a “stash house” to store, package, and distribute the organization’s drugs to dealers throughout California and other states. He also illegally possessed and sold firearms.
• Jose Nunez, 42, of Lancaster, was charged in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Between April 2023 and May 2024, Nunez used residences in Los Angeles County to store, package, and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl. He also operated a methamphetamine laboratory in Los Angeles County.
• Jesus Perez Garcia Jr., 24, of Los Angeles, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was responsible for coordinating the receipt of drugs that the organization smuggled across the border and stored, packaged, and distributed the drugs to resellers.
• Andres Silva-Corona Perez, 42, of San Bernardino, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He operated a “stash house” with more than 500 pounds of methamphetamine for the drug-trafficking ring.
• Ruben Saenz, 36, of Los Angeles, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He transported over 4,700 pounds of methamphetamine that had been smuggled across the border in a semi-truck.
• Elvis David Vasquez, 32, of Northridge, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He operated a methamphetamine stash house for the organization where he stored and repackaged over 170 pounds of methamphetamine.
• Sergio Pena, 30, of Hacienda Heights, was charged with conspiring to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl and distribution of methamphetamine. Pena stored and distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms.
• Mirella Castillo, 41, of Lancaster, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Kiara Sinaii Valdivia, 29, of Pittsburg, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• Calvin Guntetong, 26, of North Hollywood, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Jacklyn Saenz, 33, of Los Angeles, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Luz Maria Cobrera Salazar, 41, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Jose Galan Lopez, 22, of Chula Vista, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Allen Khamtrashyan, 26, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Emily Vela, 23, of North Hills, was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.