Stockton and Napa Residents Indicted for Drug and Gun Trafficking Offenses

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment Thursday against Cruz Tinajero, 25, of Napa, and Ashan Naeem, 24, of Stockton, charging them with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm without a serial number, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between April 11, 2024, and Nov. 13, 2024, Tinajero and Naeem conspired to distribute at least 400 grams of fentanyl. Tinajero and Naeem also possessed a semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle manufactured without a serial number.

This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Narcotics Taskforce (METRO), and the Stockton High Intensity Narcotics Enforcement (SHINE), which is part of the Central Valley California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program (CVC HIDTA). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew De Moura is prosecuting the case.

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

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

This investigation and prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location.  The specific mission of the OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, and prosecute the most significant criminal organizations operating in the Eastern District of California.  OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from DEA, FBI, HSI, IRS-CI, USMS, ATF, USPIS, BLM, USFS, Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, California National Guard, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, and Central Valley CA HIDTA.  The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California with the assistance of the Yolo County and Placer County District Attorney.