Overview
- Federal agents arrested four relatives in Lancaster and Hesperia after a 29-count indictment was announced Tuesday.
- The charges allege sales of fentanyl, pound-level meth, and illegal firearms including a ghost gun and a “street sweeper” device, which carry potential sentences of 10 years to life if convicted.
- Prosecutors say the supply came from Tijuana and Mexicali, with José Ángel López Paniagua obtaining drugs from Sinaloa cartel members and now wanted by authorities.
- Investigators allege José Luis Salazar-Cruz coordinated deals by text, encrypted apps, and in-person meetings and completed gun sales with an undercover officer.
- ICE raised a $10 million reward for Sinaloa figure Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar the same day, signaling stepped-up pressure on the cartel’s networks.