Fifth Defendant Sentenced in Meth Trafficking Case

In a significant methamphetamine trafficking case linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, federal prosecutors revealed on Tuesday that a fifth defendant has received a sentence.

Eric Anthony Rodriguez, 47, was found guilty in U.S. District Court of conspiracy to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute after a six-day trial overseen by Judge Susan R. Nelson.

Prosecutors indicated that Rodriguez was involved with the Diaz-Aguilar drug trafficking organization, which reportedly operated in Minnesota from April 2024 to March 2025.

According to officials, this group moved substantial quantities of meth across the state—sometimes hundreds of pounds at once. Leading this operation was 33-year-old Eric Emilio Diaz-Aguilar, who has already pleaded guilty, along with co-defendants Juan Martín Elvira Jr., 36, Edward Gonzalez, 30, and Bruce Michael Orton, 44.

Throughout a nearly year-long investigation, law enforcement confiscated around 60 pounds of meth, along with 1,500 fentanyl pills and over $20,000 in cash. Searches were conducted at several hidden residences in areas such as Columbia Heights, Hastings, and Rochester.

In November 2025, law enforcement stopped Rodriguez during a coordinated traffic operation, discovering three pounds of meth in his vehicle. Evidence presented at the trial indicated he had received many more pounds for distribution.

This trafficking network is reportedly tied to the Sinaloa Cartel, known for its extensive involvement in the drug trade across the U.S.

Rodriguez will be sentenced at a later date.