International Drug Trafficker from Minnesota Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

(KNSI) — A Minnesota man has been sentenced to 23 years in federal prison for operating an international drug trafficking organization with ties to Mexican cartels.

Prosecutors say from January 2019 until his arrest in March 2024, 45-year-old Clinton Ward of Minneapolis established and operated his own cartel-sourced drug trafficking organization that distributed thousands of pounds of methamphetamine to Minnesota through a network of dealers. Using an existing cartel pipeline, Ward transported large drug loads into the United States through various means, including concealing shipments in semi-trailers crossing the border at multiple locations. The shipments were later broken down into smaller quantities and transported into Minnesota via private vehicles and semi-trailers.

Ward was eventually taken into custody by Mexican authorities and returned to the United States to face prosecution. He was one of 15 people charged in the Mexico-based drug trafficking conspiracy that also distributed cocaine and fentanyl throughout the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.

Throughout the investigation, more than 50 defendants with connections to Ward have been charged with methamphetamine trafficking and other drug trafficking offenses. In total, authorities 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.

Ward pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.

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