Vacaville Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug Possession

On Feb. 10, 2026, James Cargill, 44, of Vacaville, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, in January 2025, law enforcement officers arrested Cargill after they found him in possession of approximately 570 grams of a substance or mixture containing methamphetamine. In May 2025, officers arrested Cargill after they found him in possession of approximately 230 grams of a substance or mixture containing methamphetamine and a loaded Glock 20 semi-automatic pistol.

The Vacaville Police Department, the Fairfield Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Campbell is prosecuting the case.

Cargill is set to be sentenced on June 2, 2026, by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Cargill faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.