Five Mexican nationals were indicted by a federal grand jury this week on drug trafficking and weapons charges following the discovery of a clandestine methamphetamine lab in Northern California. Authorities seized nearly 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine linked to the operation, officials said.
Federal Indictment and Charges
The U.S. Department of Justice announced a 10-count indictment against Luis Reyna Carrillo, Mariana Vanessa Mendoza Camacho, Juan Jesus Manriquez Diaz, Alvaro Rosales, and Manuel Juan Madrid Perez. The charges include conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine, multiple drug trafficking offenses, and firearms violations. If convicted, each defendant faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, plus potential fines up to $10 million.
Carrillo and Diaz are barred from firearm possession as illegal aliens, while Perez faces additional firearms restrictions due to prior felony convictions. Carrillo and Perez also face separate charges for illegal possession of firearms or ammunition.
Investigation and Seizures
In October 2025, federal and local law enforcement began investigating a meth production and trafficking ring operating in Calaveras County, California. The probe identified Carrillo and the other defendants as key participants.
On February 27, 2026, authorities executed search warrants at three locations in Valley Springs, Turlock, and Modesto associated with the suspects. The searches uncovered a meth lab in Calaveras County, yielding approximately 1,430 pounds of methamphetamine and 1,270 pounds of partially processed meth.
Additional seizures included 300 pounds of packaged meth, nine firearms, and ammunition at a Turlock residence, and in Modesto, agents seized two pounds of meth, 107 pounds of processed marijuana, 1,900 marijuana plants, and three firearms.
Legal Status and Next Steps
Carrillo and his wife Camacho entered the U.S. in March 2021 and received notices to appear in immigration court. Diaz was deported in 2018, and Rosales in 2024. All five defendants remain subject to federal prosecution and sentencing according to established guidelines.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi characterized the bust as a dismantling of a “clandestine and illegal operation” that produced dangerous drugs on U.S. soil.
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