Central Valley brothers-in-law indicted in federal court for selling meth
A federal grand jury in Sacramento on Thursday returned a three-count indictment against two Central Valley men for selling methamphetamine, the U.S. attorney’s office announced Friday.
Ruben Garcia, 49, of Turlock, and his brother-in-law Heriberto Ayala, 48, of Delhi, worked together to sell methamphetamine from Nov. 1, 2025 to April 15, according to court documents.
Law enforcement agents used a confidential source to conduct methamphetamine purchases from Garcia and Ayala in the cities of Turlock and Delhi, a news release said.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Modesto Police Department and the Stockton High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.
Both men are charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and distribution of methamphetamine, the news release said.
If convicted, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative targeting drug trafficking and organized crime.
This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 4:12 PM with the headline "Central Valley brothers-in-law indicted in federal court for selling meth."
