A 23-year-old Mendota man was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced Friday. Jose Navarette-Mendez pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana to members of La Mara Salvatrucha (MS‑13) in...
MS-13 Gang Member Gets 10 Years for Mendota Drug Trafficking
U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill sentenced MS-13 gang member Claudia Lizaola to 10 years in prison Monday for drug trafficking. O'Neill handed down the sentence at the federal courthouse in Fresno. According to court documents, Lizaola was a member of La Mara Salvatrucha, a violent criminal street gang that engages...
Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Sentenced to Life in Prison
NEW YORK — The Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was sentenced Wednesday to life behind bars in a U.S. prison, a humbling end for a drug lord notorious for his ability to kill, bribe or tunnel his way out of trouble. A federal judge in Brooklyn handed down...
Man With Long Drug-Trafficking Rap Sheet Indicted in Fresno
A man who received 15 convictions linked to drug trafficking in Tulare County 16 years ago was indicted Thursday on weapons charges by a federal grand jury in Fresno. Jose Toscano-Ruelas, 43, a foreign national, was charged in U.S. District Court with being a felon in possession of a fireman,...
Task Force Hits Heart of Nuestra Familia Prison Gang in Coalinga
When Salvador Castro Jr. and Raymond Lopez were sent to Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, they continued to be large-scale drug dealers. But thanks to the work of local, state and federal law enforcement officers, the Nuestra Familia prison gang's dirty dealings have been disrupted. Authorities announced Wednesday the...
Madera Pharmacist Arrested on Opioid Trafficking Charges
A Madera pharmacist and two Fresno men were arrested Tuesday for allegedly engaging in a conspiracy to distribute the opioids oxycodone and hydrocodone, according to federal officials. The arrests followed a 42-count federal grand jury indictment on April 11. The three men arrested and charged with possession and conspiracy to...