St. Cloud Woman Pleads Guilty to Leading Major International Drug Distribution Enterprise from Mexico

(KNSI) — A St. Cloud woman has pled guilty to leading a major drug distribution enterprise in the U.S. from Mexico.

According to federal prosecutors, 30-year-old Macalla Lee Knott, also known as Kayla, had been living in Mexico since March of 2020, and directed shipments of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl to various distributors across the upper Midwest and arranged payments to sources of supply in Mexico. Knott admitted to supervising, managing, and leading at least five people in the enterprise.

She pled guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, money laundering conspiracy and continuing criminal enterprise charges. She will be sentenced on August 7th.

The case is part of an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into the international trafficking of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl and was aided by coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota. The investigation remains “very active,” according to federal authorities. So far, 18 people have been charged in North Dakota and tied to the seizures of over 100 pounds of methamphetamine, nine pounds of fentanyl powder and 120,000 fentanyl pills.

Another St. Cloud woman, 28-year-old Melanie Quick, has been sentenced to nine years in prison and three years of supervised release in connection to the case, which is being investigated by the Central Minnesota Violent Offenders Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, St. Cloud Police Department, Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, Sartell Police Department, Benton County Sheriff’s Office, Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, Morrison County Sheriff’s Office, Internal Revenue Service – CID, Fargo Police Department, West Fargo Police Department, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

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