Jose Manuel Ontiveros Verdugo, 40, of Stockton, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd issued the sentence. On the same day, Jorge Omar Arredondo-Garcia, 47, of Lodi, pleaded guilty to the same offense.
Court documents state that between July and December 2019, Verdugo and Arredondo-Garcia worked with others to distribute methamphetamine in Stockton and across the country. An undercover source purchased a total of 11 pounds of methamphetamine and half a pound of heroin from the group during the investigation. Law enforcement also intercepted shipments of 50 pounds of methamphetamine headed for Nebraska and another shipment of 21 pounds bound for Pennsylvania.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation with support from several agencies including the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Customs and Border Protection, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, San Joaquin County Probation, Stockton Police Department, and Tracy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
Charges are still pending against Gregorio Ontiveros Verdugo of Morada; Alberto Navarro Zapata of Stockton; and Wilfredo Reyes of Manteca. The charges against these individuals are allegations at this stage; they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Arredondo-Garcia will be sentenced by Judge Drozd on November 24, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine; however, sentencing will consider statutory factors and federal guidelines.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which works to identify and dismantle major criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led multi-agency approach. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
“Jose Manuel Ontiveros Verdugo, 40, of Stockton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 16 years in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and Jorge Omar Arredondo-Garcia, 47, of Lodi, pleaded guilty today to the same offense,” Acting U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez announced.
