FOURTEEN CHARGED IN IOWA METHAMPHETAMINE TRAFFICKING AND MONEY LAUNDERING INVESTIGATION AFTER MULTI-AGENCY HSTF OPERATION

DES MOINES, Iowa — Fourteen people are facing federal criminal charges following a joint federal and state investigation into an alleged methamphetamine trafficking organization operating in Iowa, with authorities seizing cash, firearms, and electronic devices during a coordinated enforcement operation across three cities.

Eleven defendants were arrested on September 22, 2026, as federal agents and state and local law-enforcement officers executed 10 search warrants in Marshalltown, Perry, and Des Moines. Authorities reported seizing $21,193 in cash, six firearms, and 18 phones during the operation.

The prosecutions are contained in two federal indictments filed in the Southern District of Iowa.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office publicly identified the following defendants:

• Jose Manuel Yepez Jr., 31, of Marshalltown
• Marisol Ordaz Buenrostro, 24, of Perry
• Micaela A. Rivera, 25, of Des Moines
• Felipe Ramirez Alvizu, 40, of Marshalltown
• Jennifer Mares Flores, 31, of Marshalltown
• Liliana Hernandez Vazquez, 29, of Marshalltown
• Georgina Kasandra Hernandez Vazquez, 21, of Marshalltown
• Yureli Alondra Hernandez Vazquez, 25, of Marshalltown
• Juan Pablo Mendoza Juarez, 26, of Marshalltown
• Luis Ruben Aguilera Perez, 32, of Marshalltown
• Carlos Mendoza Juarez, 19, of Marshalltown

Although federal prosecutors announced charges involving 14 individuals, the September 23 release publicly names 11 defendants. The government said three individuals had not yet appeared on the charges.

Liliana Hernandez Vazquez, Georgina Kasandra Hernandez Vazquez, and Yureli Alondra Hernandez Vazquez are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, an offense carrying a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Carlos Mendoza Juarez is charged with conspiracy and distribution of methamphetamine. Federal prosecutors said those charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison if he is convicted.

The remaining individuals are charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and related offenses, which prosecutors said carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a potential maximum of life imprisonment.

The indictments represent allegations, not convictions. None of the defendants should be considered guilty unless the government proves the charges beyond a reasonable doubt in federal court.

Eleven defendants appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge in the Southern District of Iowa on September 22 and September 23. Trial was scheduled for November 30, 2026.

The simultaneous execution of 10 search warrants across Marshalltown, Perry, and Des Moines reflects the scale of the investigation and the level of coordination among participating agencies. The seizure of 18 phones also highlights the amount of electronic material collected during the operation, though prosecutors did not disclose what information investigators expect the devices to contain.

The six seized firearms add another component to the enforcement action. The September 23 announcement does not state that every firearm was unlawfully possessed or directly connected to drug trafficking, and it does not identify which defendants, if any, may face separate firearm charges stemming from the seizures.

Federal prosecutors have also not disclosed the total quantity of methamphetamine allegedly distributed by the organization, the duration of the alleged conspiracy, the source of the drugs, or the amount of money the government believes was laundered.

Those details may emerge as the cases proceed through federal court.

The investigation involved an extensive group of federal, state, county, and municipal agencies.

Participating agencies included the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Marshalltown Police Department, Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Tri-County Drug Task Force, Mid Iowa Drug Task Force, Des Moines Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Mid Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, and Iowa National Guard Counter-Drug Task Force.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney David C. Waterman, FBI Special Agent in Charge Gene Kowel, ATF Resident Agent in Charge Robert Carlson, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement Assistant Director Bryant Strouse, and Marshalltown Police Chief Christopher Jones.

The arrests were also identified by the Justice Department as part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, which brings multiple federal agencies together for investigations involving cartels, transnational criminal organizations, gangs, trafficking operations, and related federal offenses.

The Des Moines Homeland Security Task Force includes personnel from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and IRS Criminal Investigation, with federal prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Justice Department described the HSTF as a whole-of-government partnership that uses interagency collaboration to identify, investigate, and prosecute crimes committed by cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, human-smuggling operations, and trafficking organizations.

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