Monge-Ponce Pleads Guilty to Poly-Drug Conspiracy

FRESNO, Calif. — In a stunning turn of events, Mexican national Jose Monge-Ponce, also known as Ramon Maciel-Ponce and Jose Ponce, pleaded guilty today to a vast poly-drug trafficking conspiracy, according to U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert.

Ponce, aged 33, is accused of orchestrating the distribution and possession of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at an unoccupied residence in Madera, California, in January 2019, where they discovered a sophisticated meth lab and substantial quantities of drugs: 10 pounds of finished meth, 4 pounds of heroin, 1 pound of cocaine, and 25 pounds of marijuana.

At the scene were Ponce, Oscar Rene Marrot-Garcia, 30, from Chowchilla, and Francisco Alcantar-Miranda, 34, from Mexico. Ponce was in possession of an unregistered firearm, three cellphones, and pay-owe sheets, indicating a well-organized criminal operation.

Marrot-Garcia and Alcantar have already entered guilty pleas and been sentenced to 10 years and six and one half years, respectively, serving as stark warnings for Ponce.

Scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on May 22, 2023, Ponce faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, along with a $10 million fine. The actual sentence will be at the discretion of the court.

This case is the result of a collaborative investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Madera County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic Enforcement Team (MADNET) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) High Impact Investigation Team (HITT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar is handling the prosecution.