MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minnesota man and more than a dozen people who allegedly worked with him have been charged as part of a drug trafficking ring that distributed methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl throughout the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.

What we know

A total of 15 people have been charged in the Mexico-based operation that brought drugs to Minnesota with the intent of selling them.

According to court documents, on Jan. 4, 2019, Clinton James Ward was arrested at a Vadnais Heights motel with more than eight pounds of meth. At the time, Ward was selling drugs from his hotel room.

After his arrest, Ward fled to Jalisco, Mexico, where he established connections with drug traffickers that had ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, the most dominant drug cartel in Mexico. Ward also had ties with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), authorities say.

From January 2019, until his arrest in March 2024, Ward established and operated his own cartel-sourced drug trafficking operation distributing thousands of pounds of meth to Minnesota through a network of traffickers, according to court documents.

Authorities say Ward would use several techniques to transport drugs into the U.S., including sending them through concealing shipments in semi-trailers crossing the border at various locations. Large shipments were later distributed into smaller quantities, and transported to Minnesota using private vehicles and semi-trailers.

More than 50 people with connections to Ward have been charged with meth trafficking and other drug trafficking offenses as part of an overarching investigation, a press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ) says. Law enforcement has currently seized more than 1,600 pounds of meth, four kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of fentanyl, 30,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills and more than $2.5 million in drug proceeds.

On March 11, 2024, Ward was taken into custody by Mexican authorities, and extradited to the U.S. for prosecution.

Who was involved?

13 people have been charged as part of the drug trafficking ring that Ward ran, and are currently in custody. All of them have made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court.

Below is a list of who was allegedly involved, and the charges they are currently facing:

• Shawnette Lynn Andreasen, 46, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
• Jonathon Beau Bailey, 33, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
• Vin Chanry, 37, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• Perry John Coyle, 65, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.
• James Joseph Graczyk, 51, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
• Benjamin DeWayne Johnson, 40, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
• Joseph Allen Pappenfus, 41, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
• Breezie Lynn Pena, 46, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.
• Aaron Michael Teadt, 47, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.
• Jimmy Thithavong, 38, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.
• Peter Charles Watkins, 45, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.
• Nicole Marie Williams, 41, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine.