Los Angeles Area Woman Charged with Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearm Offense

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Manuela Guadalupe Lizarraga-Hernandez, 32, of Downey, charging her with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that crime, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to court documents, on February 15, 2015, Lizarraga-Hernandez possessed 440.9 grams of 97 percent pure methamphetamine along with a pink 9 millimeter handgun in the car that she was driving northbound through Kern County on the SR-99 highway.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Lizarraga-Hernandez faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $5 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.