Four Men Indicted in Southern California for Alleged Drug and Firearms Trafficking

# Four Men Arrested in Southern California Drug and Firearms Case Four men were arrested on Tuesday in Southern California, according to prosecutors. The arrested individuals are Jose Luis Salazar-Cruz, aged 44; Alfonso Salazar, aged 46; Jose Manuel Salazar, aged 22; and Jorge Humberto Salazar, aged 43. The four men are members of the same family, authorities stated.

Three of the four arrested men are undocumented immigrants from Mexico, according to authorities. A fifth co-defendant, Jose Angel Lopez Paniagua, aged 23, of Littlerock, is still being sought by federal prosecutors. Federal prosecutors unveiled a 29-count indictment accusing the group of running a drug trafficking and illegal firearms operation from February 2024 through December 2025.

The group is accused of distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine and selling weapons, including untraceable ghost guns, investigators stated. All five defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to deal firearms without a license, and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license, federal prosecutors said.

If convicted on all counts, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and up to life imprisonment.

Operations and Specific Transactions Jose Luis Salazar-Cruz, known as Oso, coordinated deals using text messages, encrypted apps, phone calls, and face-to-face meetings, authorities said.

The indictment outlines a series of large drug deals. Prosecutors say the group also trafficked firearms between December 2024 and July 2025. 45-caliber pistol, a street sweeper destructive device, and a privately made AR-style rifle without a serial number, according to the indictment.

According to prosecutors, members of the group told a buyer in May 2025 that their drugs were transported from Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico, crossing the border by trailer before reaching Southern California, prosecutors stated.

The fugitive is accused of supplying narcotics sourced from Sinaloa Cartel members, federal prosecutors said. The family is allegedly tied to the Sinaloa Cartel, investigators stated.

Charges and Investigations Jose Luis Salazar-Cruz faces charges including multiple counts of drug distribution, being an illegal alien in possession of firearms, trafficking in firearms, possession of a destructive device, and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, federal prosecutors said.

The remaining defendants face a range of drug and gun-related felonies, federal prosecutors stated. The fugitive faces charges including possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and multiple counts of drug distribution, federal prosecutors said.

The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and multiple Southern California law enforcement departments.

Authorities recovered an untraceable ghost gun, the Department of Justice stated. Authorities recovered a privately made AR-style rifle without a serial number, the Department of Justice said.

Court Appearances and Broader Context The four arrested men were expected to appear in federal court in downtown Los Angeles, prosecutors said.

The arrests come as officials announced an increased reward for cartel figure Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, one of the “Chapitos,” who assumed control of the organization after their father, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.