Two men linked to a Mexico drug cartel have pleaded not guilty to possession of 18 pounds of methamphetamine and eight weapons, including three assault rifles and a .50-caliber sniper rifle.
Prosecutors say 25-year-old Jesus Espinoza of San Diego and 25-year-old Jose Manuel Guizar-Gaytan of Mexico entered the pleas on Tuesday in Riverside County Superior Court.
They are believed to be associates of the La Familia cartel in Michoacan, Mexico.
The men were arrested last week in a Moreno Valley home. They remain in jail with bail set at $500,000 each.
Authorities seized 18 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of more than $832,000, four handguns, three assault rifles and the sniper rifle.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
