Foreign Nationals Charged With Intent to Distribute $5.5 Million in Methamphetamine

Federal authorities said they watched the men load bundles from a semi-truck into other vehicles at a parking lot three miles north of the U.S.–Mexico border.

Suspected methamphetamine allegedly discovered in San Diego County, California, on June 2, 2025. Courtesy of San Diego County Sheriff’s Office

Federal authorities in Southern California filed a complaint charging three foreign nationals with conspiring to distribute nearly four tons of methamphetamine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a June 5 statement.

Erick Arriola, 27, from El Salvador, and Mexican nationals Baltazar Rodriguez Reyes, 49, and Eugenio Lizama, 35, were charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They face a minimum of 10 years in prison.

According to federal prosecutors, Arriola is a felon convicted of DUI, battery of a spouse, and false imprisonment.