Federal authorities have announced indictments against three individuals from Modesto, Bakersfield, and Fresno as part of Operation Take Back America. The indictments stem from two drug trafficking cases and one illegal gun possession case, following investigations by multiple law enforcement agencies.
U.S. Attorney Eric Grant stated that on September 4, 2025, a federal grand jury in Fresno returned the indictments.
In Modesto, Manuel Rodriguez Diaz, 41, was charged with possessing over five kilograms of cocaine. According to court documents, Diaz was stopped by law enforcement on July 10, 2025, while driving north on California State Road 99 in Madera County. Officers found 16 individually wrapped packages containing about 27.65 kilograms (61 pounds) of cocaine in his vehicle. The investigation involved the California Highway Patrol, Madera Police Department, Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team, Madera County District Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.
In Bakersfield, Steven Paul Garcia, 53, faces charges for possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Court records show that on August 26, 2025, Garcia was pulled over while driving north on California State Road 99 in Fresno County. Deputies seized approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine packaged in one-pound bags during the stop. The investigation included the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Bakersfield Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is handling prosecution.
The Fresno indictment involves Thomas Carter Beasley, 20, who was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. On November 16, 2024, law enforcement attempted to stop Beasley in Fresno; he led officers on a high-speed chase before crashing into a parked car and fleeing through an apartment complex on foot. Officers arrested him and later recovered a loaded Glock .40-caliber pistol hidden under a doormat along his escape route; its serial number matched a gun box left behind in the crashed vehicle. At the time of arrest Beasley was on probation for a prior felony conviction related to receiving a stolen motor vehicle and is prohibited from possessing firearms. This case resulted from an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Robert Veneman-Hughes are prosecuting.
“If convicted,” authorities said: “Diaz and Garcia face a statutory minimum of 10 years with a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.” For Beasley: “If convicted…[he] faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.” Sentencing will be determined at the discretion of the court after considering statutory factors and federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Officials emphasized: “The charges are only allegations; all of the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
These cases fall under Operation Take Back America—a national initiative aimed at countering illegal immigration and eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts among various Department of Justice resources such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The Beasley case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which brings together law enforcement agencies with communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence nationwide.
“On May 26, 2021,” officials noted: “the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.”
