SAN DIEGO - A 21-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, along with weapons offenses, in a case tied to both the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations announced.

Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas, who entered the United States illegally, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego. The case stemmed from Operation Gone in 60 Seconds, a Homeland Security Task Force-designated joint investigation led by HSI San Diego and HSI Yakima, Washington, that targeted a drug trafficking organization linked to the two cartels and responsible for multiple murders, including the killing of a government witness.

“Orizaba’s sentencing serves as a clear warning: Those who threaten our communities with guns and drugs will be held accountable,” said acting HSI Executive Associate Director John A. Condon. “I commend the dedication of HSI professionals and our partner agencies for their thorough investigation, which ultimately led to bringing this public safety threat to justice.”

Orizaba-Zendejas was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, along with related forfeiture and weapons offenses. He will be removed to Mexico after completing his 20-year sentence.

The case falls under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is described as “a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.” The task force “places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children” and “utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.”

HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from the FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Interpol, with prosecution led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.