Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking and Immigration Offenses

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty on March 15, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.

Juan Cardona-Tinajero, 34, from Guadalajara, Mexico, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and being an illegal alien in United States.

At the plea hearing, Cardona-Tinajero admitted that from January 2023 to September 22, 2023, he and others in the conspiracy agreed to distribute at least 18 pounds of methamphetamine. Cardona-Tinajero also admitted that he was caught receiving approximately nine pounds of methamphetamine by mail which he intended to further distribute.  Cardona-Tinajero was receiving packages through the U.S. postal service from California which contained methamphetamine that he distributed in Sioux City area.  

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Cardona-Tinjaro remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.  On the drug convictions, Cardona-Tinajero faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.  On the immigration conviction, he faces a possible maximum sentence of not more than 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shawn S. Wehde and Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 23-4063 and 23-4072.  Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.