Four of five men charged in a drug trafficking operation across Southern California that authorities say has links to the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico were arrested Tuesday, federal prosecutors said.
José Luis Salazar-Cruz, 44, Alfonso Salazar, 46, and José Manuel Salazar, 22, all of whom are from Lancaster; and Jorge Humberto Salazar, 43, of Hesperia, face a total of 29 criminal charges for allegedly trafficking 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 José Ángel López Paniagua, 23, of Littlerock, Calif., who is also charged in the case. The men could not be reached for comment Tuesday, and it is unclear whether they have attorneys.
On April 9, 2025, José Luis Salazar-Cruz, 44, sent an undercover officer photographs of rifle-style firearms. He commonly communicated with buyers via text messages, prosecutors say.
(U.S. attorney’s office)
Federal prosecutors allege that from February 2024 to December 2025, Salazar-Cruz coordinated the sale of narcotics and firearms using text messages, encrypted messaging apps, phone calls and in-person meetings. The other men facilitated transactions between suppliers and customers, at times meeting directly with buyers to complete the 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 weapons sales. Two days later, he met the undercover officer and sold three firearms — a shotgun, a rifle and a handgun, according to the indictment. In April 2025, the document states, Salazar-Cruz texted photographs of additional firearms to the same undercover officer.
The alleged family-run trafficking group conducted multiple sales of drugs including meth and fentanyl, often involving quantities of about one 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 in 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.
Besides narcotics, the Salazars also illegally sold firearms, including a Glock .45-caliber pistol, a streetsweeper destructive device and an AR-style rifle with no serial number, commonly referred to as a ghost gun, according to prosecutors.
Besides narcotics, the Salazars also illegally sold firearms, authorities say.
(U.S. attorney’s office)
Salazar-Cruz faces the most serious charges, including multiple counts of firearms possession as an unlawful alien, numerous drug trafficking counts, firearms trafficking offenses and possession of unregistered weapons, according to court records.
Alfonso Salazar is charged with drug conspiracy, firearms trafficking conspiracy, unlawful possession of a firearm as an alien, engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and methamphetamine distribution.
José Manuel Salazar is charged with drug conspiracy, fentanyl distribution, firearms trafficking conspiracy, unlawful firearms dealing and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
Jorge Humberto Salazar is charged with participating in the drug and firearms trafficking conspiracy and unlawful firearms dealing.
Paniagua faces multiple drug- and firearms-related charges, including possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution and firearms charges tied to possessing weapons in furtherance of drug trafficking, as well as possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
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