Feds bust family-run drug business with links to Mexican cartel, prosecutors say - BERITAJA

Four of 5 men charged successful a supplier trafficking cognition crossed Southern California that authorities opportunity has links to the Sinaloa cartel successful Mexico were arrested Tuesday, national prosecutors said.

José Luis Salazar-Cruz, 44, Alfonso Salazar, 46, and José Manuel Salazar, 22, each of whom are from Lancaster; and Jorge Humberto Salazar, 43, of Hesperia, look a full of 29 criminal charges for allegedly trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and firearms, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Salazar-Cruz, Alfonso Salazar, and Jorge Humberto Salazar are brothers and José Manuel Salazar is Salazar-Cruz’s son. The 3 older men are Mexican citizens, according to prosecutors.

Authorities are still searching for José Ángel López Paniagua, 23, of Littlerock, Calif., who is besides charged successful the case. The men could not beryllium reached for remark Tuesday, and it is unclear whether they person attorneys.

On April 9, 2025, José Luis Salazar-Cruz, 44, sent an undercover serviceman photographs of rifle-style firearms. He commonly communicated pinch buyers via matter messages, prosecutors say.

(U.S. attorney’s office)

Federal prosecutors allege that from February 2024 to December 2025, Salazar-Cruz coordinated the waste of narcotics and firearms utilizing matter messages, encrypted messaging apps, telephone calls and in-person meetings. The different men facilitated transactions betwixt suppliers and customers, astatine times gathering straight pinch buyers to complete the supplier sales, prosecutors said.

On Dec. 14, 2024, prosecutors said, Salazar-Cruz said by telephone pinch an individual he believed was a firearms buyer, who was really an undercover officer, and agreed to meet for early weapons sales. Two days later, he met the undercover serviceman and sold 3 firearms — a shotgun, a firearm and a handgun, according to the indictment. In April 2025, the archive states, Salazar-Cruz texted photographs of further firearms to the aforesaid undercover officer.

The alleged family-run trafficking group conducted aggregate income of narcotics including meth and fentanyl, often involving quantities of about 1 lb aliases more, prosecutors said.

During 1 deal, Salazar-Cruz and 3 of the men told a purchaser that their proviso came from Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico, and was transported crossed the separator successful a trailer. Paniagua allegedly obtained the narcotics from members of the Sinaloa cartel and sold them to Salazar-Cruz for distribution, according to the indictment.

Besides narcotics, the Salazars besides illegally sold firearms, including a Glock .45-caliber pistol, a streetsweeper destructive instrumentality and an AR-style firearm pinch nary serial number, commonly referred to arsenic a shade gun, according to prosecutors.

Besides narcotics, the Salazars besides illegally sold firearms, authorities say.

(U.S. attorney’s office)

Salazar-Cruz faces the about superior charges, including aggregate counts of firearms possession arsenic an unlawful alien, galore supplier trafficking counts, firearms trafficking offenses and possession of unregistered weapons, according to tribunal records.

Alfonso Salazar is charged pinch supplier conspiracy, firearms trafficking conspiracy, unlawful possession of a firearm arsenic an alien, engaging successful the business of dealing firearms without a licence and methamphetamine distribution.

José Manuel Salazar is charged pinch supplier conspiracy, fentanyl distribution, firearms trafficking conspiracy, unlawful firearms dealing and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle.

Jorge Humberto Salazar is charged pinch participating successful the supplier and firearms trafficking conspiracy and unlawful firearms dealing.

Paniagua faces aggregate drug- and firearms-related charges, including possession pinch intent to administer methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution and firearms charges tied to possessing weapons successful furtherance of supplier trafficking, arsenic good arsenic possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle.