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Date: Sept. 10, 2026
Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov
New Albany – Seven individuals have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in an armed fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that crossed state lines:
| Defendant | Charge(s) | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Jose Buval, Seymour | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (x2) & Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking | 19 years, 2 months’ imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release |
| Cesar Melendez-Martir, El Salvador | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine & carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime | 15 years’ imprisonment, 5 years supervised release |
| Brandon Bowman, Seymour | Making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm & Distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine | 10 years’ imprisonment, 5 years supervised release |
| James McMillian, Columbus, IN | Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine | 4 years’ imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release |
| Robert Zambrano, Columbus, IN | Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine | 5 years’ imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release |
| Jonathan Ojeda, Columbus, IN | Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine | 10 years’ imprisonment, 5 years supervised release |
| Jorge Santana-Martinez, Indianapolis | Distribution of 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine | 13 years’ imprisonment, 5 years supervised release |
According to court documents, Jose Buval orchestrated the distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout Indianapolis, southern Indiana, and Ohio. Buval directed the drug trafficking activities of his co-conspirators, supplying them with drugs and firearms.
On Sept. 21, 2023, law enforcement observed Buval and several co-conspirators traveling in tandem from Indiana to the Dayton, Ohio, area. While in Dayton, Buval obtained more than 2,800 grams of methamphetamine. Co-conspirator Melendez-Martir took possession of the drugs. The Indiana State Police conducted a traffic stop on Melendez-Martir’s vehicle in Ripley County, Indiana, as he returned across state lines. Officers recovered approximately 2,854.7 grams of methamphetamine and the handgun Buval had provided to Melendez-Martir.
Over the course of the nearly three-year investigation, law enforcement seized 890 grams of cocaine, 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1 kilogram of fentanyl, $11,250 in drug proceeds, and 25 firearms.
At the time of the offenses, Melendez-Martir was unlawfully present in the United States and will be deported to El Salvador following completion of his prison sentence.
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, Indiana State Police, Seymour Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Hamilton/Boone County Drug Task Force, Shelbyville Police Department and Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team, and the Ripley County Prosecuting Attorney investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judges Tanya Walton Pratt, James P. Hanlon, and Jane Magnus-Stinson
“These sentences make clear that armed drug traffickers who flood our communities with methamphetamine and fentanyl will face serious federal consequences. Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to stopping violent drug networks and protecting the people of Indiana,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
“Fentanyl and methamphetamine leave a trail of broken families and damaged communities, but they also leave a trail of money,” said Robert J. Kuszynski, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Our special agents are uniquely trained to trace those proceeds and turn the money behind an illegal drug enterprise into evidence against the people profiting from it. We’re proud to stand alongside our federal, state and local partners to bring accountability to those who choose to make a living peddling poison in our communities.”
“Armed drug trafficking networks that move fentanyl and methamphetamine across state lines put communities at serious risk,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “HSI and our federal, state, and local partners worked across jurisdictions to disrupt this organization, seize deadly drugs and firearms, and support a prosecution that resulted in significant federal prison sentences. This outcome underscores our shared commitment to protecting the public and holding accountable those who fuel drug-related violence.”
“This case was a success thanks to the partnership between the Department of Justice, the DEA, and local law enforcement Task Force Officers,” said Greg O’Brien, Chief of the Seymour Police Department. “Without these TFOs, small rural towns wouldn’t have the resources to carry out operations like this. We value and appreciate our ongoing collaboration with the Department of Justice.”
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Gibson, who prosecuted this case.
These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is 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. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. Crossroads HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indiana National Guard, Indiana State Police, HIDTA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and Plainfield Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 16 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.