Three Men Indicted, Nearly 1,400 Pounds of Methamphetamine Seized, and Two Methamphetamine Labs Dismantled
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 3-count superseding indictment last week against three defendants, charging them with a drug trafficking conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris announced.
Alfredo Alvarez Sanchez, 37, and Raul Munoz Navarro, 54, both of Mexico, were arrested on December 11, 2024, during a coordinated law enforcement operation. Inosencio Cruz, 35, of Visalia, was arrested on March 11, 2025.
According to court documents, coordinated searches conducted on May 17, 2023, led to the seizure of nearly 1,000 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and 14 firearms. The operation involved the search of five properties in Tulare, Earlimart, and Corcoran. During the searches, law enforcement discovered and dismantled two active methamphetamine conversion laboratories. These labs contained numerous 55-gallon drums filled with liquid methamphetamine in various stages of conversion to crystal methamphetamine.
In addition to the seizures described above, law enforcement conducted a series of enforcement actions resulting in the seizure of significant quantities of methamphetamine, firearms, and other contraband destined for distribution in California’s Central Valley and beyond, including:
- Nov. 30, 2023: 150 pounds of methamphetamine seized.
- Feb. 24, 2024: 200 pounds of methamphetamine confiscated.
- March 20, 2024: 25 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 pounds of marijuana seized.
Additionally, law enforcement recovered 11 firearms from an individual who attempted to conceal them following the seizure of methamphetamine on March 20, 2024.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, Sacramento Area Intelligence/Narcotics Task Force (SAINT), Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team (Cal-MMET), Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Major Crimes Task Force, Fresno Police Department, Clovis Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Tulare County Tactical-High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit (TNT-HIDTA), U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement-ERO. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of the charges, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
