Trucking news and briefs for Monday, April 28, 2025:
Five convicted in $64M liquid meth hauling ring
Five individuals were found guilty of multiple charges for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that specialized in transporting liquid methamphetamine by semi-truck from Mexico, through Texas, to Oklahoma City, and laundering the subsequent drug proceeds.
As part of the overall investigation and prosecution of this organization, in addition to the five recently convicted, two additional defendants have previously been sentenced, and 11 additional codefendants have already pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy.
In total, law enforcement has attributed responsibility to this drug trafficking organization for bringing approximately 16,000 kilograms of methamphetamine into the U.S. from Mexico at an estimated street value of $64 million.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma, those convicted on April 18 were:
- Juan Hernandez, 49, a Mexican national living in Oklahoma City
- Jessica Muniz, 32, of Oklahoma City
- Denis Leal Gutierrez, 59, of Texas
- Cesar Azamar, 52, of Texas
- Adrian Narvaez, 58, of Texas
A 16-count indictment returned in December charged Gutierrez, Azamar and Narvaez with drug conspiracy; Muniz with money laundering conspiracy, two counts of domestic money laundering, and five counts of international money laundering; and Hernandez with money laundering conspiracy, three counts of domestic money laundering, and three counts of international money laundering.
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants and other co-conspirators worked with high-ranking members of a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization to import liquid methamphetamine into the U.S. hidden in the fuel tanks of semi-trucks. Gutierrez’s trucking company, DGC Express Co., had been responsible for transporting shipments of liquid methamphetamine to Oklahoma as far back as February 2021. Another trucking company owned by Gutierrez, Dare Express Co., assumed responsibility for transporting the liquid methamphetamine to Oklahoma and Georgia starting in at least May of 2023.
Evidence at trial further showed that Azamar was responsible for facilitating the transfer of the liquid methamphetamine from the Mexico-based semi-truck into the Dare Express semi-truck, which first occurred at a property rented by Gutierrez in Alamo, Texas, and later at the main business location of Dare Express in Edinburg, Texas. The Dare Express semi-truck used throughout 2023 to deliver liquid methamphetamine to Oklahoma and Georgia was registered under Narvaez’s name, and both Gutierrez and Narvaez instructed the truck drivers to deliver this liquid methamphetamine to Oklahoma and elsewhere.
There was also evidence presented at trial about the group’s money laundering activities. A high-ranking member of this organization in Mexico directed family members in Oklahoma -- specifically his brother, Hernandez, and his niece, Muniz -- to launder drug proceeds on his behalf.
Testimony and other evidence, including court documents, CashApp records, international wire remitter service records, and records from the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Oklahoma Department of Corrections, also established that this drug trafficking organization supplied Oklahoma prison gangs with methamphetamine, specifically the Irish Mob Gang, the Universal Aryan Brotherhood, and the Sureños. These gang members or their associates then sent payments for methamphetamine disguised as CashApp payments to Hernandez and Muniz, who then wired the money to close associates of the organization’s head in Mexico.
At sentencing, Gutierrez, Azamar and Narvaez each face up to life in federal prison and a fine of up to $10 million. Following their convictions for money laundering conspiracy, domestic money laundering, and international money laundering, Hernandez and Muniz face up to 20 years in federal prison and fines of up to $500,000 per charge.
[Related: Rapid-fire drug busts at border]
Wyoming Highway Patrol needs help ID'ing hit-and-run suspect
The Wyoming Highway Patrol is asking for the public’s help in identifying a driver and a tractor-trailer involved in a hit-and-run crash Friday, April 25.
WHP said the incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. Friday, along I-80 Westbound near milemarker 99 near Rock Springs.
The white tractor-trailer involved struck another truck driver who was outside his parked vehicle along the side of the interstate. In a Facebook post seeking public assistance, WHP said the suspect truck’s company logo is believed to incorporate a red lion in the logo.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Wyoming Highway Patrol dispatch at (307) 777-4321.
Volvo, Mack trucks recalled for potential engine stall issue
Volvo Trucks North America and Mack Trucks are recalling a combined 105 trucks in which the idler gear bracket fasteners may have been improperly tightened, allowing the idler gear to detach from the engine. A detached idler gear can damage the engine, resulting in a stall and increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Affected models include approximately 102 model year 2022-‘25 legacy Volvo VN and 2025 new Volvo VN trucks, and approximately three model year 2025 Mack Anthem units.
Dealers will inspect and replace the turbo compound units as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 11, 2025. Owners may contact Volvo Trucks' customer service at 800-528-6586 with recall number RVXX2504, and Mack Trucks’ customer service at 800-866-1177 with recall number SC0477.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall number for the Volvo recall is 25V-257, and for the Mack recall is 25V-256.
[Related: OEMs issue recalls of 2K trucks, various models]
Love’s rebrands alt-fuel subsidiary
Love's last week announced that its alternative fuel subsidiary brand Trillium Energy Solutions will be rebranded as Love’s Alternative Energy. The move is part of an effort to streamline and maximize Love’s brand equity across driver-facing offerings in the marketplace, the company said.
“As alternative energy solutions continue to grow, this rebrand is a natural evolution of Trillium’s legacy, and expansion of the Love’s value proposition to provide customer segments with fueling options at public and private facilities across the U.S. and Canada,” said Ryan Erickson, vice president of Alternative Energy for Love’s. “Trillium brings more than 30 years of experience serving customers in the refuse and transit space, while Love’s has strong relationships with fleets and the public traveling across America’s highways. That’s a powerful combination for fleet operators and motorists looking to reduce costs and emissions.”
The company also announced last week the acquisition of 44 public and private compressed natural gas stations from U.S. Energy. This brings the CNG dispensing network to 107 locations nationwide and in Canada. All of the U.S. CNG station are supplied with 100% renewable natural gas (RNG).
Trucker named Highway Angel for helping pull trapped dump truck driver from crashed rig
The Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) has named ABF Freight truck driver Mark Campbell, from Jeffersonville, Indiana, a Highway Angel for attempting to rescue a fellow truck driver from his dump truck after it flipped on its side.
Mark CampbellTCA
“He was too big to go through the windshield,” Campbell said. “The guy was hurt; he was laying on the passenger door area there.”
Campbell said the truck was spilling oil and coolant, and the engine was starting to smoke. He worried the truck would catch on fire.
Two other drivers stopped to help, so the three men worked to get the trapped driver out. Campbell grabbed an ABF strap, and the man wrapped it under one arm and they pulled him up to safety.
“We pulled him up on the side of the dump truck,” Campbell said.
The fire department arrived and took over the scene. As a former Marine and 20-year truck driver, Campbell said he didn’t hesitate to stop to help at the accident.
“If I can help people, I’ll jump out and try to help them,” he said. “I would hope if I was in that situation, they would stop to help me.”
