A Southern California family allegedly linked to the Sinaloa Cartel has been arrested, but a fifth suspect is still on the run after federal agents raided what they say was a massive fentanyl, meth, and ghost gun operation.
According to authorities, four individuals were arrested on Tuesday and are scheduled to appear in federal court in downtown Los Angeles.
Related posts
The defendants, Jose Luis Salazar-Cruz, 44, Alfonso Salazar, 46, Jose Manuel Salazar, 22, and Jorge Humberto Salazar, 43, are all from the same family.
Authorities claim three of them are undocumented Mexican immigrants.
A fifth co-defendant, Jose Angel Lopez Paniagua, 23, of Littlerock, is still being sought.
Federal prosecutors unveiled a 29-count indictment charging the group with running a drug trafficking and illegal firearms business between February 2024 and December 2025.
Investigators say the guys conspired to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine while also selling weapons, including undetectable “ghost guns.”
Salazar-Cruz, also known as “Oso,” is at the core of the investigation, according to officials, who orchestrated transactions using text messages, encrypted applications, phone calls, and in-person meetings.
The other defendants allegedly facilitated transactions between suppliers and purchasers, as well as handled in-person sales.
The indictment describes a number of significant narcotics deals. Salazar-Cruz allegedly sold nearly a pound of methamphetamine and around 324 grams of fentanyl on January 21, 2025.
On July 30, he was charged with selling around 1.2 kilos of meth, followed by another transaction involving approximately 2.3 kilograms on December 19.
Prosecutors allege that the organization smuggled guns between December 2024 and July 2025.
A Glock was among the purported guns sold. 45-caliber handgun, a “street sweeper” destructive weapon, and a privately manufactured AR-style rifle with no serial number, also known as a ghost gun.
Salazar-Cruz is charged with the most serious offenses, including several counts of drug distribution, illegal immigrant in possession of firearms, firearm trafficking, possession of a destructive device, and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
The remaining suspects face a variety of narcotics and firearms-related offenses.
Paniagua, the fugitive, is suspected of supplying narcotics obtained from Sinaloa Cartel members. He also faces additional allegations such as having firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and multiple counts of distribution.
According to prosecutors, members of the group told a buyer in May 2025 that their drugs were carried from Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico, and crossed the border via trailer before arriving in Southern California.
All five defendants face charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled narcotics, conspiracy to deal weapons without a license, and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.
If convicted on all counts, each defendant faces a required minimum term of ten years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life.
A coalition of federal and local agencies is investigating the case, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and several Southern California law enforcement departments.
The arrests come as police step up their efforts against the Sinaloa Cartel.
The arrests come as officials offered a higher reward for cartel kingpin Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, one of the “Chapitos,” who took over the organization after their father, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
Officials stated that all defendants are deemed innocent until proven guilty in court.
