Raul Zamudio Hurtado, a 42-year-old resident of Oakdale, was sentenced to 22 and a half years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith. Hurtado's sentencing pertains to two counts of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, stemming from two separate cases.
Court documents reveal that in May 2017, a coalition of federal, state, and local agencies investigated a group linked with Sureño gang members and associates in Merced for criminal activities, including violence, drug sales, and illegal firearm possession. Over 50 individuals were arrested, and 14 defendants faced federal charges. Hurtado was recognized as the methamphetamine supplier for the Sureño members and was subsequently indicted. He pleaded guilty on July 24, 2019, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and remained in custody until his release in April 2020 under certain conditions.
Between December 2021 and November 2022, Hurtado was involved in acquiring and distributing large quantities of methamphetamine, amassing tens of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds. A search warrant executed on November 16, 2022, led to the seizure of more than 73 pounds of methamphetamine, resulting in his re-arrest and charge. On June 3, 2024, Hurtado once again pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in this second case.
The investigations were conducted by multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Merced Area Gang and Narcotic Enforcement Team, the California Department of Justice/California Highway Patrol, Special Operations Unit, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Modesto Police Department Major Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson and Kimberly Sanchez led the prosecution.
These cases fall under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, a program focused on identifying, disrupting, and dismantling high-level criminal organizations in the United States via a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
This effort is also aligned with Project Safe Neighborhoods, an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence while bolstering community safety through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and local communities. The U.S. Department of Justice's violent crime reduction strategy, launched on May 26, 2021, underpins this initiative, emphasizing trust-building, supporting violence-prevention community organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.