Five Charged in Meth and Fentanyl Ring Federal Prosecutors Say an American Ran From a Juárez Prison

A prison cell in Ciudad Juárez did not stop a drug operation in southern New Mexico, according to federal prosecutors. They allege an American citizen inside that prison ran it by phone.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico and the FBI announced charges this week against five people. Court documents describe a trafficking ring that moved methamphetamine and fentanyl from Juárez into southern New Mexico.

Who is charged

The defendants are Felix Anthony Salazar III, 34, of Las Cruces; Yadira Lizett Cano, 28, of El Paso; Moses Andrew Gonzales, 36, of El Paso; Martha Janeth Grijalva Fierro, 36, of El Paso; and Suleima Eidali Miranda, 31, of Las Cruces.

All five have been arrested and are in federal custody. Salazar surrendered to U.S. law enforcement on Sunday night, Oct. 11, 2026, after crossing from Mexico into the United States.

The charges are allegations. No pleas or trial dates have been reported, and each defendant is presumed innocent.

Three buys, one undercover agent

The Homeland Security Task Force for New Mexico began investigating in mid-2025. Investigators identified Salazar, then incarcerated in Juárez, as a suspected member of the organization who coordinated drug transactions with people in southern New Mexico. Court documents allege he arranged the deals over WhatsApp.

Three controlled buys followed, each with an undercover agent as the buyer.

Sept. 5, 2025, Anthony, N.M. Salazar allegedly arranged the sale of about a kilogram of meth for $3,800. Prosecutors say Cano drove to a public parking lot with a 16-year-old passenger, who handed over the drugs and collected the money. Lab testing found about 973 grams of pure methamphetamine.

Court documents say the undercover agent was on a WhatsApp call with Salazar and another man during the sale. Investigators also said they suspect Cano was in a romantic relationship with the teenager and knowingly used him in the transaction.

Sept. 17, 2025, Sunland Park. Salazar allegedly arranged a sale of about half a kilogram of meth for $1,800. Gonzales and Grijalva Fierro arrived together, and Gonzales delivered the drugs. Investigators say communications between Salazar and Grijalva Fierro tie her to the arrangement. Lab testing found about 468 grams of pure meth.

Oct. 24, 2025, Las Cruces. Salazar allegedly arranged a sale of meth and fentanyl pills for $2,000. Prosecutors say Miranda directed the undercover agent to a residence and delivered the packages there. Lab testing found about 984 grams of pure methamphetamine and 251 grams of fentanyl.

The charges

All five face a federal charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The remaining counts break down this way:

• Cano is also charged with distribution of methamphetamine and with using a juvenile in a drug operation.
• Gonzales and Grijalva Fierro are each charged with distribution of methamphetamine.
• Miranda is charged with distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
• Salazar and Miranda are also charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.

A 16-year-old allegedly carried a kilogram of meth into a parking lot and walked away with the cash.

What remains unanswered

The case describes a trafficking operation directed from inside a foreign prison, with WhatsApp as the link between the cell and customers in New Mexico.

The other man on the Sept. 5 WhatsApp call has not been identified.

The next step is the federal court process in New Mexico. Whether any defendant pleads guilty or takes the case to trial has not been announced.