Cartel-Linked Minnesotan Indicted for Operating a Mexico-Based Drug Trafficking Operation
Members of the FBI, U.S. Marshals, DEA and U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota address media at a press conference August 6, in Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division led an investigation in partnership with state, local and federal law enforcement agencies in which 15 individuals were charged in a Mexico-based drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl sourced by the Sinaloa and CJNG Cartels throughout the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.
According to court documents, on January 4, 2019, Clinton James Ward was arrested in the parking lot of a motel in Vadnais Heights with more than eight pounds of methamphetamine. At the time, Ward was selling methamphetamine from his hotel room to various customers. Within weeks of his arrest, Ward fled to Jalisco, Mexico, where he met up with Mexican and American drug traffickers who all had ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG Cartels.
According to court documents, from January 2019 until his arrest in March 2024, Ward established and operated his own cartel-sourced Mexican-based drug trafficking organization that distributed thousands of pounds of methamphetamine to Minnesota through a network of drug traffickers. Using an existing cartel pipeline, Ward would transport large drug loads into the United States through various means including concealing shipments in semi-trailers crossing the border at various locations. The shipments were later broken down into smaller quantities and transported into Minnesota via private vehicles and semi-trailers.
Over the course of the investigation, more than 50 defendants with connections to Ward have been charged with methamphetamine trafficking and other drug trafficking offenses. In total, law enforcement has seized more than 1,600 pounds of methamphetamine, four kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of fentanyl, 30,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills, 45 firearms, and more than $2.5 million in drug proceeds.
On March 11, 2024, Ward was taken into custody by Mexican authorities and returned to the United States to face prosecution.
“While many people look for ways to improve and grow their communities, Clinton Ward aligned himself with two Mexican cartels thinking only of the profits lining his pocket,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “Ward’s organization left a trail of destruction in its wake. This investigation and today’s arrests are the result of exceptional teamwork. Never underestimate the unified strength of state, local and federal law enforcement agencies.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the DEA, FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota Department of Corrections, Minnesota State Patrol, St. Paul Police Department, Mounds View Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Wright County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
