Bakersfield, California: Alleged California Kingpin Arrested and Charged with Directing Drug Conspiracies that Brought Bulk Quantities of Methamphetamine into Oklahoma and Missouri

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

An alleged drug kingpin charged with directing a continuing criminal enterprise and organizing and directing at least three separate methamphetamine conspiracies in Oklahoma and Missouri was arrested this week in Bakersfield, California, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

“Today, a 13-count federal indictment was unsealed charging Luis Alfredo Jacobo with leading a continuing criminal enterprise that brought an estimated 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine into the Northern District of Oklahoma and southwestern Missouri for redistribution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. 

“I appreciate our law enforcement partners that brought this case forward for prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Duncombe will seek to hold Jacobo and his coconspirators accountable in federal court.”

“Methamphetamine continues to be one of the top drug threats in Oklahoma,” said Eduardo Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division, which oversees operations in Oklahoma.  “Simply put, methamphetamine destroys families across the state and within Oklahoma’s Indian Country. 

Our communities have felt the horrible effects of drug abuse and addiction. DEA Oklahoma is committed to make our communities safer and hold those accountable who push these deadly substances across our great nation.”

“Meth is an insidious drug that continues to take lives and devastate families throughout Oklahoma,” said Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Director Donnie Anderson. “My agency is committed to working along-side our state, federal and local law enforcement partners to target, apprehend and prosecute these drug traffickers who threaten the safety and security of our citizens.”

Jacobo was arrested by federal agents Monday. Also arrested were Kelly Wayne Bryan and Curtis Anthony Jones in Missouri, who were charged as part of one of Jacobo’s alleged drug conspiracies. 

The indictment also charged Jesus Valdez Martinez and Antonio Cervantes Garcia as Jacobo’s coconspirators. Martinez is in federal custody for a related case in Montana. Garcia is in federal custody for a related case in the Western District of Oklahoma.

The superseding indictment was unsealed today, by order of the U.S. District Court.

Jacobo, using his Mexican sources of supply and Bakersfield as a base of operations, is alleged to have directed and organized a methamphetamine enterprise that consisted of at least three distribution conspiracies with three separate groups of individuals in Northeast Oklahoma and Southwest Missouri.

Jacobo allegedly set prices, determined methods of delivery and payment, and approved any suggestions made about the groups’ operations.

According to the indictment, bulk distributors brought the methamphetamine to Bakersfield from Mexico. From there, Jacobo directed that the methamphetamine be sent via U.S. mail to the groups in Oklahoma and Missouri or driven there in vehicles, sometimes in quantities of 50 to 100 pounds at a time. 

Coconspirators would drive large amounts of cash back to California or would mail cash payments back to Jacobo and to others at Jacobo’s direction. The coconspirators sometimes mailed as much as $100,000 cash at a time from Oklahoma to California as part of the enterprise.

A total of 10 defendants were charged in this second superseding indictment with one or more of the following crimes: Continuing Criminal Enterprise (Count 1); Drug Conspiracy (Counts 2-5); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 6,7); Interstate Travel to Aid Racketeering (Counts 8,13); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 9); Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 10); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 11); and Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 12).

Defendants charged in the indictment are:

* Luis Alfredo Jacobo, a/k/a “Lokz,” 30, of Bakersfield, California

* Antonio Cervantes Garcia, a/k/a “Tony Garcia,” 33, of Bakersfield, California

* William Donavan Johnson III, 46, of Grove

* Shauni Breanne Callagy, 31, of Grove

* David Scott Chambers, a/k/a "Scott Chambers,” 52, of Springfield, Missouri

* Gene Olen Charles Rast, a/k/a “Charlie Rast," 46, of Elkland, Missouri

* Renee Lynn Haynes, 40, of Bolivar, Missouri

* Jesus Valdez Martinez, a/k/a “Jesse Martinez,” a/k/a “Hostile,” 46, of Bolivar, Missouri

* Kelly Wayne Bryan, 54, of Joplin, Missouri

* Curtis Anthony Jones, 44, of Marshfield, Missouri

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The indictment resulted from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation “Operation Pullin Chains.” 

The case is also related to a 231-pound methamphetamine seizure in October 2020 in Grove, made by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. The drugs were found inside a Grove storage unit along with more than $465,000 in cash.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, Bureau of Indian Affairs, City of Miami Police Department, Grove Police Department, Bakersfield Police Department, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Oklahoma District 13 Drug Task Force are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Duncombe is prosecuting the case.

justice.gov