Mexican Citizen Sentenced to Over 27 Years in Federal Prison in a South Dakota Cocaine Conspiracy

SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sinaloa, Mexico man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 11, 2024.

Melecio Rodriguez Medina, 39, was sentenced to 27 years and three months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised released. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Rodriguez Medina, and his co-conspirator, Mario Castro Covarrubias, were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2022. Rodriguez Medina pleaded guilty on November 6, 2023 and Mario Castro Covarrubias pleaded guilty on January 3, 2024.

Rodriguez Medina and Castro Covarrubias were based in Mexico and were part of an international organization that arranged for the transportation of large amounts of narcotics to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, from Mexico. They coordinated with two couriers to get approximately 25 kilograms of cocaine delivered to Sioux Falls in October of 2021. On October 18, 2021, law enforcement seized the cocaine that they had shipped to South Dakota. In December of 2021, the two again coordinated to ship approximately 42 kilograms of cocaine to Sioux Falls, which was also seized. In addition to cocaine, Rodriguez Medina was responsible for organizing a shipment of 1 kilogram of fentanyl pills to Sioux Falls. Investigators also determined that Rodriguez Medina made arrangements for a co-conspirator in South Dakota to pick up multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine in California and then take them back to South Dakota for distribution.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.

Rodriguez Medina was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.