United States Drug Enforcement Administration

FRESNO, Calif. - Catatea James, 47, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting structuring, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. Structuring is splitting up bank deposits to keep them under a $10,000 threshold in order to avoid the...

FRESNO, Calif.) - Three marijuana cultivators in Fresno County pleaded guilty and one was sentenced today for their involvement in separate large-scale marijuana cultivation operations in Fresno County, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. 1,429 Marijuana Plants Seized in Squaw (Case...

WASHINGTON - - Six Colombian nationals were indicted today by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia for the kidnapping and murder of Drug Enforcement (DEA) Special Agent James Terry Watson. “Special Agent Watson was a brave public servant who dedicated his life to protecting the country...

FRESNO, Calif. - The owner of two commercial office buildings in Bakersfield has paid $1,675,000 to the United States to resolve claims that the buildings were used to house marijuana retail stores and large-scale indoor marijuana cultivation operations, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and United States Attorney...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today, charging San Jose residents Jose Angel Martinez Chairez, 38; Angel Avilio Martinez-Diaz, 26; Jose Maria Villareal, 24; and Sunnyvale resident Jose Luis Ramirez Verduzco, 27, with conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and...

WASHINGTON - - The Drug Enforcement Administration congratulates the Government of Mexico on the arrest of Miguel Trevino Morales. Trevino Morales, the head of the notoriously violent and vicious Los Zetas cartel, has been a wanted man for years. His ruthless leadership has now come to an end. Thanks to...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that a federal grand jury returned a multi-count indictment yesterday charging John Wesley Lane, 33, and Kelsey Ann Lane, 26, both of Anderson, California, with manufacturing and distributing...

Extradition of Colombian Narcotics Kingpin Defendant allegedly worked with two Colombian terrorist organizations to manufacture and distribute hundreds of tons of cocaine per year, and laundered millions of dollars in drug proceeds (WASHINGTON) - Michele M. Leonhart, the Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement (“DEA”), Preet Bharara, Loretta E. Lynch...

FRESNO, Calif. - Gonzalo Esquivel, aka Gunner, 34, and Efren Steve Jiminez, aka Grande, 33, both of Los Banos; Kenneth Hernandez, aka Kenny, 30, of Dos Palos; Gustavo Moreno, aka Gus Gus, 33, and David Torres, 33, both of Madera pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine before the...

FRESNO, Calif. - Sergio Hector Aguilar, aka Sergio Perez, 46, of Bakersfield, Calif., was sentenced today to 7 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and committing this crime while under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for...