A pair of California brothers tied to a major cross-countrydrug pipelinehave been handed hefty federal prison sentences after authorities unraveled their operation through a sweeping wiretap probe.
Eduardo Mendoza, 33, was sentenced to 15 years behind bars, while his brother, Francisco Javier Mendoza, 35, received a 10-year term followingan earlier sentencingon April 17.
Both men are from Niland, California.
Prosecutors say the duo ran a large-scale drug trafficking organization thatfunneled methamphetamine and fentanyl from Mexico into the United States, distributing the deadly narcotics across multiple states.
The investigation, which stretched over several years, revealed the Mendoza organization was supplied by a fentanyl source in Mexicali, Baja California, with links to the notorious Sinaloa Cartel.
From there, drugs, sometimes hidden in plastic Easter eggs, were smuggled into Imperial County and pushed throughout the Imperial Valley and beyond, reaching destinations as far as New York.
Federal agents built their case through extensive wiretaps, eventually identifying key players in what became known as the Mendoza Drug Trafficking Organization.
Authorities seized significant quantities ofmethamphetamineandfentanylduring the investigation.
In 2024, law enforcement launched a coordinated, multi-district takedown.
Eduardo Mendoza was arrested in Oregon, while Francisco Mendoza was taken into custody in California’s Imperial Valley.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
