Illegal Aliens from Mexico Indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Methamphetamine Related to a Clandestine Lab in Calaveras County, California

3,000 Pounds of Methamphetamine and 12 Firearms Seized from Houses in Valley Springs, Turlock, and Modesto, California, as Part of Homeland Security Task Force Investigation A federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment today against five illegal aliens from Mexico, charging them with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine, as well as various other drug trafficking and firearms offenses, according to Attorney General Pamela Bondi and U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. “These illegal aliens allegedly operated a secret lab on American soil producing thousands of pounds of deadly drugs to poison our communities,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This clandestine and illegal operation has now been dismantled — we will continue protecting Americans from the dangerous results of the prior administration’s open-border policies.” Luis Reyna Carrillo, 33, is charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; two counts of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and being an alien in possession of a firearm. Carrillo’s wife, Mariana Vanessa Mendoza Camacho, 33, is charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and two counts of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Juan Jesus Manriquez Diaz, 31, is charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and being an alien in possession of ammunition. Alvaro Rosales, 44, is charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Manuel Juan Madrid Perez, 38, is charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; three counts of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Perez is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions in California including a conviction on Sept. 19, 2022, for false imprisonment and preventing a victim from reporting a crime. According to Department of Homeland Security records, Carrillo and Camacho arrived in the United States in March 2021 and were given a notice to appear. Diaz was previously removed from the United States in 2018. Rosales was removed in August 2024. According to court documents, in October 2025, law enforcement authorities began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization suspected of manufacturing methamphetamine in a remote area of Calaveras County. During the investigation, Carrillo and his associates were identified as part of that conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine. On Feb. 27, 2026, multiple law enforcement agencies engaged in a coordinated operation and executed search warrants at three locations connected to Carrillo and his associates in Valley Springs, Turlock, and Modesto, California. Law enforcement agencies searched two additional residences in Stanislaus County that were associated with Carrillo and his associates. In Turlock, law enforcement located and seized an additional 300 pounds of methamphetamine packaged for distribution, nine firearms, and multiple magazines and rounds of ammunition. In Modesto, they seized 2 pounds of methamphetamine, 107 pounds of processed marijuana, 1,900 marijuana plants, and three firearms. As aliens, Carrillo and Diaz are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, and Perez is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of his prior felony convictions. If convicted on the drug-trafficking charges, Carrillo, Camacho, Diaz, Rosales, and Perez each face a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Carrillo, Diaz, and Perez face additional penalties if convicted of the firearm- or ammunition-related offenses.