Minnesota Resident Sentenced For Role In Cartel-Linked Meth Trafficking Ring

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Minnesota man was sentenced to 260 months in federal prison, more than 21 years, for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy that investigators say was affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel.

Eric Anthony Rodriguez, 47, was convicted by a jury on Feb. 10, 2026, of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced Aug. 13 by U.S. District Judge Susan R. Nelson in St. Paul, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota.

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Prosecutors said Rodriguez conspired with other defendants to acquire and distribute hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine as part of what authorities called the Diaz-Aguilar Drug Trafficking Organization, led by Erick Emilio Diaz-Aguilar

The organization operated and distributed methamphetamine throughout Minnesota from April 2024 to March 2025, court documents show.

During a nearly year-long investigation, law enforcement seized about 60 pounds of methamphetamine, 1,500 fentanyl pills and more than $20,000 from people connected to the organization.

Investigators say the group was affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel, which the U.S. government classifies as a transnational criminal organization.

Judge Nelson said the sentence reflected Rodriguez's role as a "crucial workhorse" in the organization and cited the harm methamphetamine causes Minnesota communities through addiction and overdose deaths.

"Today's sentencing reflects my office's commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable," U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said in a statement.

"Rodriguez played a significant role in a conspiracy that pushed methamphetamine across Minnesota, and this sentence reflects the seriousness of his actions."

Olmsted County Sheriff's Office Capt. Tim Parkin, who commands the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team, said the case shows the results of local, state and federal agencies working together to dismantle drug trafficking organizations.

DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said Rodriguez was not moving small amounts of drugs. "These were hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl that carry life-altering consequences to those who roll the dice by using these substances," Gillespie said.

Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said the two-year investigation represented sustained work by BCA agents and law enforcement partners to stop methamphetamine distribution in Minnesota communities.