Forty-two Alleged Gang Members and Associates Charged with Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Following Homeland Security Task Force Investigation

SAN DIEGO – Four federal grand jury indictments charge 42 alleged members and associates of various San Diego County street gangs, including an increasingly violent and sophisticated Poway gang called Varrio Hidden Hills, with distributing large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

In a coordinated takedown on Wednesday and Thursday, hundreds of FBI agents, members of the North County Regional Gang Task Force and federal, state, and local law enforcement officials arrested 35 defendants and executed 10 search warrants on homes and vehicles in Poway, Lemon Grove, San Diego, National City, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, El Cajon, Oceanside, Escondido, Vista, Temecula, Murrieta, Riverside, and Tulare. As of 2:30 p.m. today, seven defendants were still being sought. Authorities seized drugs, guns, ammunition and cash during the takedown and throughout the two-year investigation.

FBI agents came under fire while serving an arrest warrant at 6:10 a.m. Wednesday at a home in Lemon Grove. After agents identified themselves pursuant to standard protocol, multiple shots were fired in their direction from inside the residence through the front door and front window. No one was hit, and FBI agents retreated to safety after briefly returning fire. Tactical law enforcement personnel responded, and the target of the arrest warrant was taken into custody after coming out of the residence. The shooting is under investigation.

“These arrests strike at the heart of this violent, sophisticated, Mexican Mafia connected criminal gang,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, “The dangers our agents faced is a troubling reminder of the threats gang members pose, but also, the courage of those who confront them. We are grateful every agent is going home to their loved ones.”

“Cases like this are only possible because of the outstanding partnerships across our federal, state, and local law enforcement community,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Remily of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Working together, we dismantled a violent criminal operation led by an assessed gang leader with suspected cartel associations, responsible for moving dangerous narcotics into our neighborhoods. This investigation also showed the level of violence these groups are willing to use when our agents came under fire while working to protect this community. Through unwavering teamwork, we stopped a network driving deadly drugs and violence into our neighborhoods. We will continue to use every lawful tool available to stop those threatening the safety of the people we serve.”

“San Diego continues to be safer because of the law enforcement partnerships we have in this region. The deputies, analysts and Sheriff leadership assigned to the North County Gang Task Force contributed their dedication and talents to this very complex case involving dozens of defendants in an investigation that crossed borders and multiple jurisdictions,” said San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez. “I commend all the agencies and investigative teams involved in this effort and I’m grateful to see these dangerous individuals facing criminal consequences for their actions.”

“This operation highlights the strength of collaboration among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in combating violent crime, dismantling criminal organizations, and removing dangerous drugs from our communities,” said CHP Chief Brandon Shipwash. “As California’s state police, the CHP remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners, utilizing our statewide resources and investigative expertise to hold those responsible accountable and protect the communities we serve.”

“We extend our sincere appreciation to our federal partners for their outstanding cooperation, coordination, and commitment throughout this operation and successful takedown,” said Oceanside Chief of Police Taurino Valdovinos. “This operation sends a clear message: criminal activity will not be tolerated in San Diego County, and we remain committed to working together to hold those who threaten our communities accountable.”

The arrests arise out of an FBI investigation that was initiated in mid-2024 into the Varrio Hidden Hills criminal street gang and associated illegal activity in Poway - specifically a senior-ranking documented member of the gang, John Marquez, and his associates. The investigation quickly expanded to all of San Diego County and other parts of California due to the expansive and overlapping criminal networks.

During the two-year investigation, FBI agents and task force members learned that Marquez was the alleged leader of an international drug-trafficking organization and was associated with the Mexican Mafia. Marquez allegedly organized a multi-tiered distribution scheme using other San Diego County gang members and associates as distributors. Marquez oversaw separate chains of supply, set pricing, and collected drug proceeds to take back to his sources of supply in Mexico, according to court documents. He travelled continuously to and from Mexico to meet with his cartel-linked sources of supply and facilitate the importation of narcotics into the United States.

The Mexican Mafia, a.k.a. “La Eme,” is a U.S.-based prison gang that has immense control over Hispanic street gangs in Southern California, directing illegal activities from prisons and collecting a portion of the proceeds from drug trafficking, illegal gambling, and other crimes committed on the streets. In addition to control over U.S.-based street gangs, the Mexican Mafia has ties to foreign terrorist organization (FTO)-designated criminal networks, including the Sinaloa Cartel, Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), and Mara Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13).

The investigation uncovered an extensive operation funneling various narcotics from drug trafficking networks based in Mexico across the border and into San Diego and surrounding communities for further distribution.

According to court documents, many of the defendants have criminal records that include robberies, assaults, and other violent and dangerous conduct.

The evidence also reflected that Marquez continually collected drug proceeds from his sub-distributors to send back to his sources of supply in Mexico. For example, in one series of communications with one of his primary sources of methamphetamine and fentanyl, Marquez advised that he was preparing to go down to Mexico to pick up fentanyl and stated, “I have to count some money and send it to Sinaloa.”

Court documents said Marquez’s organization earned substantial profits; the evidence reflected that Marquez regularly supplied methamphetamine at a price of between $750-$900 per pound, in addition to his profits from dealing fentanyl – which he worked with others to import for a price of $12,500 to $13,000 per kilogram.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jill Streja and Shivanjali A. Sewak. DEFENDANTS Case Number 26cr3883Name AgeCityJohn Marquez aka Guero49PowayFUGITIVE51MexicoFUGITIVE51MexicoNino Ernesto Resendiz Leyva49San DiegoKevin Plowman59San DiegoChristopher Childers62National CityGabriel Romo44OceansideDavid Cobb49San DiegoFrancisco Garcia aka Beaver53National CityFUGITIVE64San DiegoFUGITIVE55San DiegoGuadalupe Gutierrez aka Boxer61TulareJames Stewart aka Beatle54San DiegoJon Carlson65Imperial BeachFUGITIVE48National CityMichelle Declercq aka Shelly34EscondidoNicholas Crum36EscondidoEmily Rybar49PowayAnthony Villaescusa36Chula VistaAaron Hill33LakesideRobert Headrick51San DiegoGina Del Carmen52Oceanside SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841 (a) (1), 841 (b) (1) (A) (viii), 841 (b) (1) (B) (vi) and 846Distribution of Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841 (a) (1), 841 (b) (1) (A) (viii), 841 (b) (1) (B) (vi) and 846Distribution of Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841 (a) (1), 841 (b) (1) (B) (vi)Distribution of Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841 (a) (1), 841 (b) (1) (A) (viii), 841 (b) (1) (B) (ii)Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841 (a) (1), 841 (b) (1) (A) (viii), 841 (b) (1) (B) (viii) and 846Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841 (a) (1), 841 (b) (1) (B) (vi)Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841 (a) (1), 841 (b) (1) (B) (ii)DEFENDANTS Case Number 26cr3887 Name AgeCityGabriel Romo44OceansideWilliam Kidwell Jr.44MurrietaMoises Quinones40RiversideReyna Pompa37RiversideFUGTIVE49Valley CenterNicole Solis43OceansideSheldon Hollins66OceansideFUGITIVE33OceansideJonathan Zittle48OceansideBrian Keller46TemeculaFUGITIVE42VistaErica Martinez41OceansideAbigail Garavaglia26OceansideSUMMARY OF CHARGESConspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841 (a) (1); 841 (b) (1) (A) (viii) and 846Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841 (a) (1) and 846Distribution of Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 841(a)(1) and 841 (b) (1) (A) (viii)Distribution of Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 841(a)(1)Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 841(a)(1)Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841 (a) (1); 841 (b) (1) (A) (viii) and 846DEFENDANTS Case Number 26cr3886 Name AgeCityKevin Plowman59San DiegoJohn Goulet70VistaFUGITIVE55San DiegoKeith Tibbetts44San DiegoFUGITIVE48San DiegoKora Kinkade51El CajonCatherine Loyd-Sledge43El CajonMary Wooten54San DiegoSUMMARY OF CHARGESConspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841 (a) (1) and 841 (b) (1) (A) (viii) and 846Distribution of Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 841(a)(1) 841 (b) (1) (A) (viii) and 846Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sec. 841(a)(1) 841 (b) (1) (A) (viii)DEFENDANT Case Number 26cr3884 Name AgeCityJuan Ezequiel Gonzalez Garcia35MexicoSUMMARY OF CHARGESConspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl – Title 21, U.S.C., Secs. 841 (a) (1) and 841 (b) (1) (A) (viii) and 846INVESTIGATING AGENCIESFederal Bureau of Investigation San Diego County Sheriff’s OfficeCalifornia Highway PatrolOceanside Police DepartmentCarlsbad Police DepartmentCalifornia Department of Corrections and RehabilitationBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and ExplosivesHomeland Security InvestigationsU.

S. Customs and Border ProtectionSan Diego Imperial Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area National City Police DepartmentSan Diego Police DepartmentRiverside Sheriff’s OfficeSan Bernardino Sheriff’s OfficeTulare County Sheriff’s OfficeU.

S. Marshals Service*Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.

High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.