A California man has been sentenced to over 15 years in federal prison for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine in the Dubuque, Iowa area. Juan Jose Ruiz, 29, from Visalia, California, pleaded guilty on April 24, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute at least 500 grams of methamphetamine mixture and more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine.
Court documents revealed that in 2021 Ruiz was responsible for supplying about 200 pounds of methamphetamine and 2,000 grams of cocaine to members of a drug-trafficking group based in Dubuque. In December 2021, authorities stopped Ruiz while he was driving from California to Iowa. During a search in Colorado, law enforcement found 25 pounds of ice methamphetamine hidden under cutout doors in the metal floor of his vehicle.
Ruiz received his sentence from United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams in Cedar Rapids. He was given a term of 188 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Federal sentencing does not allow for parole.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), an initiative led by the Department of Justice that aims to combat illegal immigration and dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts involving the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Ruiz remains in custody with the United States Marshal until he is transferred to a federal prison.
Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake prosecuted the case. The investigation involved several agencies including the Dubuque Drug Task Force, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, Dubuque Police Department, Quad City Metropolitan Enforcement Group, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory.
