Separate methamphetamine investigations in Fresno County have included laboratory seizures.
The bust was part of a Stanislaus County investigation, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office. On Thursday, investigators executed 11 search warrants simultaneously at locations in and around Yokuts Valley near Dunlap, the sheriff's office said, uncovering about 1,200 pounds of methamphetamine along with roughly 55 gallons of liquid methamphetamine solution that could have yielded another 500 pounds of the finished product. Specialized equipment and chemicals for final processing turned up at two clandestine laboratories in the Dunlap area.
A Traffic Stop During the Investigation
While serving the warrants, investigators spotted a black sedan speeding away from a target residence. Detectives stopped the vehicle several miles away and, per the sheriff's office, seized about 100 pounds of suspected finished methamphetamine believed destined for distribution.
Elsewhere in the county, a coordinated sweep served 12 search warrants throughout Fresno County on the same day. Investigators also located 43 firearms — a mix of rifles and handguns — along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition, roughly 15,000 marijuana plants, and about $50,000 in cash.
Two Men Arrested, A Third Previously Named
Jesus Galvan Ponce, 42, of Squaw Valley, and Eduardo Magana Medina, 30, of Fresno, were arrested in connection with the operation, according to the sheriff's office. The agency's account also lists Miguel Angel Ontiveros Somera, 40, of Bakersfield, among those arrested. The sheriff's office thanked the participating agencies for their assistance, professionalism and dedication.
The operation drew on a wide coalition of local, state and federal partners, including the Stanislaus Sheriff's Office Investigations Unit, Turlock Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff's Office, the Sacramento Area Intelligence Narcotics Team, the Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force, the Fresno Multi-Agency Gang and Narcotic Enforcement Team, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Special Services Unit, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI.
A September Meth-Lab Seizure
In September, investigators found a clandestine laboratory and recovered about 160 gallons of liquid methamphetamine, estimated to be enough to produce 1,000 pounds of finished product, according to FOX40. The seizure also netted roughly 100 pounds of finished methamphetamine, $680,000 in cash and eight firearms, the outlet reported, adding that the investigation remained ongoing at the time of its report.
Separately, the U.S. Department of Justice, Eastern District of California announced that three individuals were charged following a multi-agency investigation that dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine conversion laboratory in Fresno County.
Part of a Broader Pattern in the Central Valley
The Dunlap and Riverdale busts add to a string of major methamphetamine seizures across the region this year. In September, the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General announced the arrest of 15 suspects and the seizure of more than 2,500 pounds of methamphetamine, over 500 gallons of methamphetamine in solution and 21 guns during a separate Fresno-area lab operation. In a separate February operation, more than 100 officers served warrants at properties in Modesto, Turlock and Valley Springs. Authorities seized about 2,700 pounds of methamphetamine, including roughly 1,500 pounds of finished product and 1,270 pounds of partially processed meth, along with 12 firearms.
