Felix Ortiz-Plata, 44, and Anuar Castaneda Ortiz, 29, both Mexican nationals residing in California, have pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges following the seizure of over 260 pounds of methamphetamine. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Eric Grant.
Court documents state that on December 5, 2022, law enforcement stopped a vehicle driven by Castaneda Ortiz. During the search of the car, officers found more than 260 pounds of crystal methamphetamine packaged in 90 plastic bags located on the backseat and in the trunk.
Ortiz-Plata entered his guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on August 8, 2025. Castaneda Ortiz pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The investigation involved several agencies: the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Forest Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Land Management, and California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case.
Sentencing for Ortiz-Plata is set for November 21, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Dena C. Coggins; Castaneda Ortiz will be sentenced on December 19, 2025. Each faces a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment and a $10 million fine; there is also a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. Sentences will ultimately be determined by the court based on statutory factors and federal sentencing guidelines.
