By OB Rag Staff / July 7, 2025
A City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department manager is facing federal charges of attempting to smuggle fentanyl and cocaine across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Juan Nazario Lizarraga Peralta was arrested May 13 and charged with importation of a controlled substance. According to a May 16 press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office, Lizarraga, a U.S. citizen, “was attempting to cross the San Ysidro Port of Entry after Customs and Border Patrol agents found seven pounds of fentanyl and 11 pounds of cocaine strapped to his body.”
Sources in federal and city agencies have confirmed that the defendant is the same Juan Lizarraga who is listed on the City’s Parks and Recreation Department’s Community Parks II Division Profile as Area Manager for Memorial and Stockton (District 8).
Lizarraga, a 40-year-old resident of National City, was freed on $20,000 bail. The Rag confirmed last week that Lizarraga continues to work at the Dolores Magdaleno Memorial Recreation Center at 2902 Marcy Avenue in Logan Heights.
During a visit to the center, OB Rag contributor JW August was told by city workers that Lizarraga is still on the job, but he was unable to speak with the defendant.
Following multiple requests to the City for information, spokesperson Benny Cartwright issued this statement:
“We are aware an employee of the Parks and Recreation Department may be involved in a pending legal matter with federal authorities. The employee remains in his job commensurate with due process. We are unable to comment further on personnel matters.”
Despite the severity of the crime, court records show that Lizarraga has received court permission to return to Mexico three times since his arrest,
Lizarraga filed for bankruptcy in 2021. In 2022, his total city compensation, including overtime, was $85,862.84
Two weeks after his arrest, Lizarraga and his attorney negotiated a plea bargain with the US Attorney’s office. Details of that plea agreement are sealed, so no information about the plea is available.
Special thanks to JW August and Paul Krueger for their investigative research on this story.
Would any other City employee, committing the same crime continue to be on the job? I bet a cop/firefighter/and many others would be put on paid leave until the case goes to court. I’m guessing, this guy’s going to need money to fight his case, so look for more travels back and forth to MX to get some drug money hidden on this side of the Border pay his attorney fees. The old adage pops up….. it’s not about who you know, but who you owe.
My suggestion is for the City Attorney to mandate the Park and Rec Dept. Director take him OUT of SE San Diego. Put him to work in North County so he doesn’t associate with his usual customers.
he lied on me over using the football field at Stockton rec in southeast San Diego. His presence at that job site , endangers others lives, cause we don’t know what he was up to and who he was dealing with. Get him out that job.