A Pleasant Grove couple has been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas.
Holly Candice Lopez, 28, received a life sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Ricardo Ruiz, 30, pleaded guilty to the same charges and was sentenced to 376 months in federal prison. Both sentences were handed down by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on August 27, 2025.
Court documents show that Ruiz and Lopez led a drug trafficking organization in Pleasant Grove that distributed large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine. The operation involved at least five stash houses used for storing and distributing narcotics imported from Mexico.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America, a national initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at countering illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime. The initiative brings together resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Multiple agencies contributed to the investigation including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Dallas Police Department, Mesquite Police Department, McKinney Police Department, Rowlett Police Department, Lewisville Police Department, and Denton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul B. Morris prosecuted the case.
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