Mexican Nationals Indicted For Methamphetamine Trafficking In Stanislaus County

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Antonio Ochoa Mejia, (“Mejia”), 48, Ramon Ortega (“Ortega”), 33, and Jorge Armando Gonzalez Martinez (“Martinez”), 38, all Mexican nationals, charging them with conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, United States Attorney McGregor Scott announced. 

According to court documents, on April 18, 2019, Mejia and Ortega sold one kilogram of methamphetamine for $4,500 during an undercover transaction in Empire, CA. On May 14, 2019, Mejia sold two kilograms of methamphetamine for $9,000 during an undercover transaction in Ceres. On May 30, 2019, Mejia and Martinez were arrested in Ceres after attempting to deliver 10 kilograms of methamphetamine during an undercover transaction.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the San Joaquin Metropolitan Narcotics Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica A. Massey is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of ten years imprisonment, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $10,000,000 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.