Four of five men charged in a Southern California drug trafficking operation that authorities say has ties to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel were arrested Tuesday, federal prosecutors said.
José Luis Salazar-Cruz, 44, Alfonso Salazar, 46, and José Manuel Salazar, 22, all of Lancaster; and Jorge Humberto Salazar, 43, of Hesperia, face a total of 29 criminal charges for alleged trafficking of fentanyl, methamphetamine and firearms, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Salazar-Cruz, Alfonso Salazar and Jorge Humberto Salazar are brothers and José Manuel Salazar is Salazar-Cruz's son. The three older men are Mexican citizens, according to prosecutors.
Authorities are still searching for Jose Angel Lopez Paniagua, 23, of Littlerock, California, who is also charged in the case. The men could not be reached for comment Tuesday and it is unclear if they have attorneys.
On April 9, 2025, José Luis Salazar-Cruz, 44, sent an undercover officer photographs of rifle-type firearms. He typically communicated with buyers via text messages, prosecutors say.
(United States Attorney's Office)
Federal prosecutors allege that from February 2024 to December 2025, Salazar-Cruz coordinated the sale of narcotics and firearms through text messages, encrypted messaging apps, phone calls and in-person meetings. The other men facilitated transactions between suppliers and customers, sometimes meeting directly with buyers to complete drug sales, prosecutors said.
On Dec. 14, 2024, prosecutors said, Salazar-Cruz spoke by phone with an individual he believed was a firearms buyer, who was actually an undercover officer, and agreed to meet for future gun sales. Two days later, he met the undercover officer and sold him three firearms: a shotgun, a rifle and a pistol, according to the indictment. In April 2025, according to the document, Salazar-Cruz texted photographs of additional firearms to the same undercover officer.
The alleged family trafficking group made multiple drug sales, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, often in quantities of about a pound or more, prosecutors said.
During one deal, Salazar-Cruz and three of the men told a buyer that their supply came from Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico, and was transported across the border on a trailer. Paniagua allegedly obtained the drugs from members of the sinaloa cartel and sold them to Salazar-Cruz for distribution, according to the indictment.
In addition to narcotics, the Salazars also illegally sold firearms, including a .45-caliber Glock pistol, a street sweeper destructive device and an AR-style rifle with no serial number, commonly known as a ghost gun, according to prosecutors.
(United States Attorney's Office)
Salazar-Cruz faces the most serious charges, including multiple counts of possessing firearms as an illegal alien, numerous counts of drug trafficking, firearms trafficking offenses and possession of unregistered weapons, according to court records.
Alfonso Salazar is charged with drug conspiracy, firearms trafficking conspiracy, illegal possession of a firearm as an alien, engaging in the business of trafficking firearms without a license, and distribution of methamphetamine.
José Manuel Salazar is charged with drug conspiracy, distribution of fentanyl, firearms trafficking conspiracy, illegal firearms trafficking and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
Jorge Humberto Salazar is accused of participating in the conspiracy to traffic drugs and firearms and the illicit trafficking of firearms.
Paniagua faces multiple drug and firearms charges, including possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution and firearms charges linked to possession of weapons in furtherance of drug trafficking, as well as possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
