United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SAN ANTONIO – Two San Antonio men were arrested Tuesday on criminal charges related to their alleged conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio Division Miguel Madrigal and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.

According to court documents, Gerardo Pineda-Gallegos and Jose Lopez-Ruiz were identified as distributors of methamphetamine, participating in the transportation, packaging and distribution of narcotics. A criminal complaint alleges that Pineda-Gallegos and Lopez-Ruiz were at a wholesale produce distribution warehouse on Dec. 15, 2025, where they received large shipments of methamphetamine concealed within fresh produce. The complaint alleges Pineda-Gallegos and Lopez-Ruiz walked in and out of the warehouse multiple times before entering a cargo van and driving to an office space where they stored the methamphetamine that was concealed in the produce shipments. From there, the drugs were prepared for distribution.

On Feb. 3, federal agents from the DEA and FBI, along with the officers from San Antonio Police Department’s High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) unit, executed a court-authorized search warrant on the office space. During the search, agents located approximately 100 boxes containing fresh heads of lettuce. A criminal complaint alleges that the agents searched the lettuce and discovered 998 ball-shaped packages of methamphetamine, with a total weight of approximately 555 kilograms.

Pineda-Gallegos and Lopez-Ruiz were arrested and charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. If convicted, they face 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

As part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), the DEA and FBI are investigating the case with assistance from SAPD, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Nowinski is prosecuting the case.

This case is being investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
 

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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