Source: Office of United States Attorneys
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ten Mexican nationals, one Guatemalan national, and two United States citizens have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine as well as numerous counts of distribution of those controlled substances, illegal possession of machine guns, alien in possession of firearms, felon in possession of firearms, and illegal reentry of removed aliens.
The investigation began in January of 2024 and continued through June of 2025, during which time investigators seized approximately 40 kilograms of methamphetamine, two kilograms of cocaine, and 11 firearms, three of which had been equipped with machine gun conversion devices and functioned as fully automatic weapons.
A law enforcement operation conducted on June 18, 2025, resulted in nine arrests. Three defendants were already in custody, and one defendant remains at large. More than a dozen law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation which also resulted in the seizure of nine additional firearms.
Uriel Lopez-Farias, 31, a Mexican national; Jesus Adrian Meza-Meza, 42, a Mexican national; Walter Fernandez, 34, of Kansas City, Mo.; Carlos R. Lepe-Virgen, 52, a Mexico national; Pedro Ivan Roldan-Minjares, 44, a Mexican national; Joel Armando Guillen-Rodriguez, 31, a Mexican national; Jose Rodriguez-Vasquez, 44, a Mexican national; Jose Aroldo Troches-Reyes, 33, a Guatemalan national; Adalberto Meza-Meza, 37, a Mexican national; Maximiliano Oliva-Verdin, 30, a Mexican national; Osvaldo Chiapas-Aguilar, 38, a Mexican national; Jesus Alvarez-Giron, 23, a Mexican national; and Kenneth Baez, 25, of Kansas City, Mo., were charged in a forty-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on June 11, 2025. The federal indictment was unsealed and made public today following the initial appearances of those in custody.
Lopez-Farias is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, alien in possession of a firearm, illegal possession of a machine gun, distribution and attempted distribution of cocaine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.
J. Meza-Meza is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, alien in possession of a firearm and reentry of a removed alien. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.
Fernandez is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.
Lepe-Virgen is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.
Roldan-Minjares is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine and reentry of a removed alien. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.
Guillen-Rodriguez is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.
Rodriguez-Vasquez is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine and reentry of a removed alien. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.
Troches-Reyes is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and attempted distribution of cocaine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.
A. Meza-Meza is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.
Oliva-Verdin is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.
Chiapas-Aguilar is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.
Alvarez-Giron is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of methamphetamine. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to life imprisonment for these charges.
Baez is charged with illegal possession of a machine gun and felon in possession of a firearm. Under federal statutes, the defendant is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole for this charge.
The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
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. Attorneys Megan A. Baker and Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Jackson County Drug Task Force in conjunction with other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Wednesday’s law enforcement operation included the FBI, DEA, ATF, HSI, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Postal Service, the Internal Revenue Service, Jackson County (MO) Drug Task Force, Johnson County (KS) Drug Task Force, Kansas City Missouri Police Department, Kansas City Kansas Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Lee’s Summit Police Department, Sugar Creek Police Department, Wyandotte County (KS) Sheriff’s Department, St. Joseph (MO) Police Department, Buchanan County (MO) Drug Strike Force, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Missouri and the District of Kansas.
The investigation and arrest operation were part of the Kansas City Regional Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) which is dedicated to identifying and prosecuting criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
Operation Take Back America
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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).