Mexican National Indicted for Meth Conspiracy, Illegal Firearms

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than 60 kilograms of methamphetamine and for illegally possessing firearms.

Juan Hernandez-Guzman, 30, a citizen of Mexico, was charged in a four-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday, May 17. The indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed against Hernandez-Guzman on April 24, 2023, and includes additional counts.

The federal indictment alleges that Hernandez-Guzman participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Jackson County, Mo., from April 10 to April 23, 2023.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, police officers executed a search warrant at Hernandez-Guzman’s residence on April 22, 2023. Officers found a loaded Glock .357-caliber handgun, which had been modified so that it was capable of firing automatically, and a loaded Glock 9mm handgun. Each of the handguns had an extended magazine loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition. Officers also seized a quantity of cash and several cell phones.

Officers also found 10.9 kilograms of methamphetamine inside a cardboard box in the back seat of a dark blue Tahoe, which Hernandez-Guzman was seen driving on several occasions. The vehicle also contained several handgun magazines and a quantity of cash.

The federal indictment also charges Hernandez-Guzman with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a machine gun in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Hernandez-Guzman to forfeit to the government any property obtained from the proceeds of the alleged violations, including $13,048 that was seized by law enforcement officers during the execution of the search warrant, as well as a money judgment of $634,800, which was obtained as a result of the drug-trafficking conspiracy and involved the distribution of more than 60 kilograms of methamphetamine with an average street price of $300 per ounce.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

KC Metro Strike Force

This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.