Federal authorities have announced indictments against 15 individuals involved in trafficking illegal drugs from Mexico to Minnesota. Among those charged, 45-year-old Minnesota native Clinton James Ward is identified as the leader of the drug operation. Ward faces multiple drug offenses along with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, which falls under the drug kingpin statute, according to Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger.
Luger described Ward as the mastermind behind one of the most substantial drug organizations ever seen in Minnesota. The offense of engaging in a criminal enterprise carries a mandatory 20-year prison sentence, while possession with intent to distribute holds a 10-year mandatory minimum. If convicted of all charges, Ward could potentially face life imprisonment under the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
Additional individuals named in the indictment are accused of various drug-related charges, including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession, and distribution offenses. These individuals were allegedly involved in drug trafficking activities within Minnesota, as stated in a federal prosecutor’s memo to the court.
Following his arrest on drug charges in 2019, Ward fled to Mexico where he collaborated with the Sinaloa and CJNG drug cartels to establish an international drug trafficking organization, authorities revealed. Over the span of five years, Ward operated a distribution network that imported and sold large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Minnesota.
In March, Mexican authorities apprehended Ward and handed him over to the FBI. During the operation, law enforcement seized a substantial amount of illegal substances, including over 1,600 pounds of methamphetamine, 30,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills, 4 kilograms of cocaine, and 2 kilograms of fentanyl, along with 45 firearms and more than $2.5 million in drug proceeds.
According to Luger, this case represents one of the most elaborate and significant drug trafficking rings prosecuted to date. Over 50 individuals associated with Ward have been charged with drug trafficking-related offenses, as reported by Luger’s office. Ward’s attorney, Kurt Glaser, acknowledged the forthcoming indictment but refrained from providing further comments, mentioning that Ward has a family in Mexico.