A Minnesota man has been sentenced to 23 years in federal prison for leading a large-scale, international drug trafficking operation tied to powerful Mexican cartels.
According to federal authorities, Clinton James Ward was sentenced last month after pleading guilty in March 2025 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and operating a continuing criminal enterprise. Investigators said Ward used established cartel supply routes to move massive quantities of drugs from Mexico to Minnesota between 2019 and 2025.
Over the five-year period, Ward allegedly earned millions of dollars by trafficking methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Authorities said the drugs were transported using shipping containers, private vehicles, and semi-trucks, allowing the operation to move large volumes while avoiding detection.
When federal agents seized Ward’s residence in Mexico, they uncovered an enormous cache of illegal materials, including more than 1,600 pounds of methamphetamine, 30,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills, four kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of fentanyl, 45 firearms, and over $2.5 million in drug proceeds.
Investigators also confirmed Ward had connections to both the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, two of the most powerful criminal organizations operating in Mexico.
In total, 14 additional people were arrested in connection with the trafficking network. Federal officials say the case represents one of the more significant cartel-linked drug operations tied to Minnesota in recent years.
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