DEA Archived Press Releases

Press Releases before January 20, 2025
85 Results - Showing 11 to 20
PRESS RELEASE

Arrest In Tehama And Glenn Counties Leads To Federal Cocaine Trafficking Charges

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today, charging Andres Guzman, 27, of Southern California, with possessing cocaine with intent to distribute, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. According to court documents, on August 1, 2013...
PRESS RELEASE

Madera Marijuana Grower Indicted

FRESNO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a single count indictment today, charging Phouvanh Vongsenekeo, 25, of Phoenix, with manufacturing and possessing with the intent to distribute one hundred or more marijuana plants and one hundred or more kilograms of marijuana, between July 9, 2013, and August 9, 2013...
PRESS RELEASE

290 Pounds Of Methamphetamine Seized In Stanislaus County Two Indicted

FRESNO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today charging Victor Torres-Romero, 24, of Ceres, and Luis Bartolo Madriz-Sandoval, 32, of Everett, Wash., with conspiring to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced...
PRESS RELEASE

Seven Arrested In Butte County Methamphetamine Trafficking Investigation: Operation Crystal Ball

OROVILLE, Calif. - The Drug Enforcement Administration Sacramento District Office in cooperation with the Butte County Interagency Narcotics Task (BINTF) arrested seven defendants on federal charges and executed eight federal search warrants today. A ten month long investigation of a methamphetamine trafficking organization culminated with these warrants, announced Acting Special...
PRESS RELEASE

Repeat Large-Scale Marijuana Grower Sent To Federal Prison

FRESNO, Calif. - Ramany Puthavongsa, 48, of Fresno, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to three years and 10 months in prison for growing marijuana in Merced County, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. According...
PRESS RELEASE

Heroin Traffickers Arrested

FRESNO, Calif. - Five men were arrested last week for trafficking heroin in the counties of San Joaquin, Sacramento, and Stanislaus, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. The indictment charges Jose Martinez-Gonzalez, 38, of Bakersfield; Porfiro Farias, 30, of East...
PRESS RELEASE

Methamphetamine Courier Pleads Guilty In Federal Court

FRESNO, Calif. - Luis Miguel Villalobos, of Fresno pleaded guilty today to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. According to court documents, on September 12, 2012, Villalobos was stopped by a California...
PRESS RELEASE

Strawberry Marijuana Farmers Plead Guilty

FRESNO, Calif. - Saelee Fahn Meng, aka Kathy Ming Lee, 54, and her husband, John Yaohinh Lee, 54, of Waterford, Calif., entered guilty pleas today for their involvement in growing 491 marijuana plants on their strawberry farm near Waterford High School, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and...
PRESS RELEASE

Nevada County Man Indicted For Possession With Intent To Distribute Meth

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment yesterday, charging Mark Bowden, 33, of Penn Valley, with another count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today. This case is...
PRESS RELEASE

Ventura County Men Charged With Trafficking Meth In Kern County

FRESNO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today charging Fillmore residents Ruben Avila-Angulo, 40, and Antonio Barocio-Valencia, 60, with conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bruce C. Balzano and United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced...