St. Cloud Woman Sentenced to Over 26 Years for Role in $10 Million Mexican Drug Operation

(KNSI) — A St. Cloud woman has been sentenced to more than 26 years in prison for her role in an estimated $10 million drug running operation in Mexico.

Prosecutors say 32-year-old Macalla Knott had been living in Mexico since March 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 pleaded guilty in 2023 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, money laundering conspiracy and continuing criminal enterprise charges.

The case is part of Operation Unfinished Business II, which focused on the international trafficking of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl and was aided by coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota.

Melanie Quick of St. Cloud was also arrested and charged in the operation. She was sentenced to nine years in prison and three years of supervised release.

Deanna Marie Gerads of Freeport was charged after being accused of working for Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s Sinaloa cartel. Gerads was taken into custody by Mexican immigration authorities on August 1st, 2023 and deported to the U.S. from Mexico, where she had been hiding. She pleaded guilty in federal court in March of 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances but has not been sentenced.

In all, 18 defendants being charged in North Dakota and have been tied to seizures of over 100 pounds of methamphetamine, nine pounds of fentanyl powder and 120,000 fentanyl pills.

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