Feds Arrest 3 Lancaster Men on Federal Drug and Gun Trafficking Charges

LANCASTER, CA – In a coordinated federal operation announced Tuesday, law enforcement arrested four Southern California men — all members of the same family and three of them undocumented immigrants from Mexico — on charges they operated a Sinaloa Cartel-linked drug and firearms trafficking ring out of the Antelope Valley. The arrests, which took place in Lancaster and nearby Hesperia, stem from a 29-count federal grand jury indictment alleging the defendants trafficked fentanyl, multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine, and illegal firearms, including untraceable “ghost guns.”

The defendants, identified by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, are:

• José Luis Salazar-Cruz, 44, a.k.a. “Oso,” of Lancaster, an illegal alien from Mexico; 

• Alfonso Salazar, 46, a.k.a. “Pirate,” of Lancaster, an illegal alien from Mexico; 

• José Manuel Salazar, 22, a.k.a. “Lil Oso,” of Lancaster; and 

• Jorge Humberto Salazar, 43, a.k.a. “Sharky,” of Hesperia, an illegal alien from Mexico.

Four Southern California family members linked to the Sinaloa Cartel were arrested on federal gun and drug charges on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, the Department of Justice announced. This photo included in a 29-count indictment is of a weapon recovered during the investigation. (DOJ)

José Luis Salazar-Cruz, Alfonso Salazar, and Jorge Humberto Salazar are brothers. José Manuel Salazar is the son of José Luis Salazar-Cruz. A fifth co-defendant, José Ángel López Paniagua, 23, of Littlerock, remains at large and is also charged in the indictment.

According to the indictment, Salazar-Cruz and three other defendants told an undercover buyer that their drug supply originated with the Sinaloa Cartel.

The four men were taken into custody Tuesday morning and were expected to make their initial court appearances and be arraigned this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. If convicted on all counts, each faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment.

According to the indictment, the trafficking operation ran from at least February 2024 through December 2025. Prosecutors allege that José Luis Salazar-Cruz served as the central coordinator, using text messaging apps, encrypted applications, phone calls, and in-person meetings to arrange sales of narcotics and firearms. The other defendants allegedly brokered deals between suppliers and customers and conducted hand-to-hand transactions.

Drug sales frequently involved approximately one-pound quantities of methamphetamine. Specific transactions cited in the indictment include:

• Dec. 2024-July. 2025: Defendants illegally sold buyers multiple guns, including a Glock .45-caliber pistol, a street-sweeper destructive device and an unserialized assault-style rifle, known as a ghost gun 

• Jan. 21, 2025: Salazar-Cruz sold a buyer nearly one pound of methamphetamine and 11.4 ounces of fentanyl 

• May 2025: Salazar-Cruz and three other defendants told a buyer that their drug supply came from the Mexican cities of Tijuana and Mexicali via trailer and that Paniagua obtained the drugs from members of the Sinaloa Cartel – then brought them to Salazar-Cruz in exchange for money 

• July 30, 2025: Salazar-Cruz sold a buyer approximately 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine 

• Dec. 19, 2025: The same buyer from July bought another five pounds of methamphetamine from Salazar-Cruz 

From December 2024 through July 2025, the group also allegedly sold multiple firearms illegally, including a Glock .45-caliber pistol, a “street-sweeper” destructive device, and a privately manufactured AR-style rifle with no serial number — commonly known as a “ghost gun.” Salazar-Cruz faces additional charges including seven counts of being an alien in possession of a firearm, seven counts of methamphetamine distribution, four counts of fentanyl distribution, one count of firearms trafficking, one count of possession of a destructive device, and one count of possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle.

In May 2025, according to the indictment, Salazar-Cruz and three other defendants told an undercover buyer that their drug supply originated with the Sinaloa Cartel. The drugs were allegedly obtained in Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico, smuggled across the border hidden in trailers, and then provided to Salazar-Cruz by Paniagua in exchange for cash.

The operation was investigated by a multi-agency task force that included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, San Bernardino Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Highway Patrol, and Los Angeles Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Mpare is prosecuting the case.

The arrests are part of “Operation Take Back America” a nationwide Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration, cartels, and transnational criminal organizations. They also fall under the Homeland Security Task Force established by Executive Order 14159, which aims to dismantle criminal cartels operating inside the United States.

Tuesday’s action comes as federal authorities continue to ramp up pressure on the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent drug organizations, which has flooded the U.S. with fentanyl and methamphetamine. The arrests coincide with an increased $10 million reward offered by ICE for Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, known as “Chapitos,” a fugitive co-leader of the cartel and son of the notorious Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera.

“An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime,” the Justice Department noted. “Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.”

The case highlights ongoing concerns about cartel-linked activity in the Antelope Valley region of Los Angeles County, where Lancaster and surrounding communities have seen increased enforcement actions against drug trafficking networks in recent years.

Authorities continue to urge anyone with information about the whereabouts of José Ángel López Paniagua to contact law enforcement.