September 9, 2025 – On Thursday, September 4, 2025, a federal grand jury in Fresno brought two indictments for drug trafficking and one for illegal gun possession, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. 

Modesto

Manuel Rodriguez Diaz, 41, of Modesto, was charged with possessing more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. According to court documents, on July 10, 2025, Diaz was pulled over by law enforcement officers while driving north on California State Road 99 in Madera County. Officers seized 16 individually wrapped packages of cocaine from Diaz’s car. In total, Diaz was transporting approximately 27.65 kilograms (61 pounds) of cocaine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol, the Madera Police Department, the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team, the Madera County District Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.

Bakersfield

(Pictured) Individually Packaged Methamphetamine Seized from Garcia’s Car.

Steven Paul Garcia, 53, of Bakersfield, was charged with possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. According to court documents, on Aug. 26, 2025, Garcia was pulled over by law enforcement officers while driving north on California state road 99 in Fresno County. During the stop, deputies seized approximately 22 pounds of methamphetamine individually packaged in 1-pound bags.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Bakersfield Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.

Fresno

Thomas Carter Beasley, 20, of Fresno, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Nov. 16, 2024, when law enforcement officers attempted to pull Beasley over in Fresno, he led them on a highspeed chase, speeding through stop signs and nearly hit bystanders. After crashing into a parked car, he fled on foot through a nearby apartment complex before he was caught and arrested. Officers later seized a loaded Glock 27 .40‑caliber pistol hidden under a doormat in a breezeway that Beasley fled through. The serial number of the firearm matched the gun box left behind in the crashed car. At the time, Beasley was on probation, and the firearm was loaded with 21 rounds of ammunition. Beasley is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior felony conviction for receiving a stolen motor vehicle.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Robert Veneman-Hughes are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Diaz and Garcia face a statutory minimum of 10 years with a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. If convicted, Beasley faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; all of the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

These cases are 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).

The case involving Beasley is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, 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.

Source & photo: DOJ Release