Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking After Possessing 86 Pounds of 100% Pure Methamphetamine and 4,700 Carfentanil Pills

FRESNO, Calif. - Jose Tobias Jimenez-Martinez, 36, a Mexican national residing in Madera, pleaded guilty today to trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on March 4, 2025, police officers searched Jimenez's Madera apartment and seized 39.28 kilograms (86.5 pounds) of actual "ice" methamphetamine with a 100% purity. Jimenez later admitted to transporting the methamphetamine from San Diego and was planning to distribute it in Reno, Nevada. The methamphetamine was packaged in 90 plastic bags of different sizes. Officers also seized approximately 4,700 counterfeit M30 pills that tested positive for carfentanil. According to the DEA, carfentanil is a synthetic opioid estimated to be 100 times stronger than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Madera Police Department; the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), which is composed of personnel from the California Department of Justice, the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Madera County Narcotics Enforcement Team (MADNET); the Madera County District Attorney's Office; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.

Jimenez is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff on July 27, 2026. Jimenez faces a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years, a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

This case is 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.