Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) Investigation Results in Federal Charges Against 3 Men for Distribution of Cocaine in Yuba County

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment today against Julian Ayala, 26, of Oroville; Javier Alvarez, 52, of Olivehurst; and Henry Gomez, 49, of Yuba City, charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on June 26, 2025, Ayala sold a confidential source 3 ounces of cocaine and agreed to sell an additional 3 ounces. Ayala contacted Alvarez for the supply and Alvarez instructed Gomez to deliver the cocaine. Ayala then sold the additional 3 ounces to the confidential source. The parties repeated this exact pattern during a second controlled purchase on Aug. 13, 2025. On Sept. 17, 2025, Alvarez again supplied Ayala with cocaine, which Ayala sold to the confidential source. Over the three controlled purchases, Ayala sold the confidential source more than 18 ounces of cocaine, all of which had been supplied by Alvarez.

On March 19, 2026, Ayala arranged another cocaine sale to the confidential source. Before the transaction, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Ayala's vehicle. A K-9 search revealed more than 300 grams of cocaine inside.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin L. Lee and Nicole M. Vanek are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine for the conspiracy charge. For the other counts, the defendants face a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. 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; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Sacramento is composed of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California.