A federal jury in Oklahoma City has found Gustavo De Alba, 48, of Los Angeles, California, guilty of drug conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
The conviction stems from a June 13, 2025 traffic stop on Interstate 40 near Sayre, Oklahoma. Law enforcement officers pulled over the vehicle driven by De Alba and used a K-9 unit that alerted them to narcotics inside the car. Officers discovered approximately 30 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in an after-market compartment behind the backseat. Both De Alba and his passenger, Walter Luis Zapata Manzanares, 36, also from Los Angeles, were arrested at the scene.
On July 1, 2025, a federal Grand Jury indicted both men for drug conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. After a two-day trial concluding on February 18, 2026, De Alba was convicted on both charges. Zapata Manzanares had previously pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy on October 9, 2025.
De Alba faces up to life in federal prison and fines as high as $20 million at sentencing. Zapata Manzanares could receive up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $1 million.
The case resulted from an investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Hoch and Drew E. Davis are prosecuting.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” according to information provided by officials.
Further details can be found in public court filings.
