Minnesotan charged with "kingpin statute" for allegedly running "sprawling" Mexican drug trafficking ring
MINNEAPOLIS — A Twin Cities man and 14 others are charged in connection to what federal law enforcement officials call one of the most sophisticated international drug trafficking operations they've ever seen.
Clinton James Ward, 45, is facing decades in prison for allegedly running what officials describe as a "sprawling, Mexican-based" operation that spread a "truly staggering" amount of drugs across Minnesota.
United States Attorney Andrew Luger, DEA Special Agent in Charge Steven Bell and FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Leah Greeves announced the charges in a joint press conference Tuesday at the United States District Court in Minneapolis.
Authorities say on Jan. 4, 2019, Ward was arrested in the parking lot of a Vadnais Heights motel with several pounds of meth. Weeks later he fled to Jalisco, Mexico, where he's alleged to have quickly formed alliances with Mexican and American traffickers tied to two of the country's most treacherous cartels: Cártel de Sinaloa and Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
"This man moved to Mexico, set up operations with two of the most violent and prolific cartels to ship a massive amount of deadly narcotics into Minnesota," Luger said.
In five years, Ward allegedly made millions by importing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine to the Twin Cities via "an expansive net of distributors" in what officials call the most prolific drug operation in Minnesota history.
Drugs were moved under Ward's order by shipping containers, private vehicles and semi trucks before they were broken down into smaller quantities and sent to Minnesota, according to officials. Local and federal law enforcement built their cases against Ward and his co-conspirators by intercepting several of those shipments.
On March 11, Ward was arrested in Mexico by DEA and FBI agents. He was extradited to the U.S., where he became one of the few Americans ever charged with the "kingpin statute," or the Continuing Criminal Enterprise Statute (CCE). He also faces several other drug-related charges.
The DEA and FBI jointly seized more than 1,600 pounds of meth, 30,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills, kilos upon kilos of cocaine, $2.5 million in trafficking proceeds and 45 guns from Ward's Mexican residence. Officials believe the amount of drugs seized is a drop in the bucket compared to the amount distributed over the past few years.
Bell said the meth seized equates to 5.8 million dosage units, or one dose for every Minnesota resident. And the fentanyl seized amounts to 217,000 lethal doses.
Bell said the remnants of Ward's organization were "taken down" on Tuesday. Luger said 13 of the 15 people charged have been arrested, and the other two will be in custody "shortly." Officials say more than 50 people tied to Ward's operation have already been charged with various trafficking crimes.
"Mr. Ward lived a life of luxury," Bell said. "Those days are over."
Luger says the seizures will be felt in Minnesota, but "much more is needed to be done."
The DEA says drugs trafficked into the U.S. from Mexico are the No. 1 killer of adults ages 18-45.