Minnesota
Cartel-backed Minnesota man charged in drug-trafficking ring
Minnesota man charged in cartel-backed drug ring
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged a man with Minnesota ties, and more than a dozen others who allegedly worked with, as part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl throughout the Twin Cities and surrounding areas.
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.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Expect a sunny Saturday with heat expected to build up this weekend before an even hotter work week.
Saturday forecast
Local perspective:
Winds stay light out of the south with plenty of sunshine today.
There are hints of an extremely isolated thundershower, but the chance of that happening over any given area is extremely small.
Expect highs to peak in the upper 80s with dew points in the mid to upper 60s this afternoon.
Extended forecast
What’s next:
This forecast is hot.
Highs will peak in the 90s every day this upcoming week for the Twin Cities and a large portion of the area as well.
Dew points really don’t look to surge into the 70s but mainly stay in the lower to upper 60s depending on the day of the week.
Little to no precipitation forecast this upcoming week. Expect dry and sunny days.
The Source: This story uses information from the FOX 9 weather forecast.
BEMIDJI — The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development recently announced over $1.4 million in child care economic development grants, including a $200,000 award to the
Northwest Minnesota Foundation
in Bemidji.
Split between 11 programs and organizations around the state, more than 80% of the awarded funds support programs in Greater Minnesota, with the aim of creating more than 1,100 new child care slots.
“Affordable, reliable child care is essential for a thriving economy,” DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek said in a release. “These grants are supporting working families by ensuring Minnesota parents are able to work knowing their child is well cared for by some of the best caregivers in the nation. We’re also helping employers retain talent and working together to establish the foundation for long-term economic vitality.”
DEED’s Child Care Economic Development Grant program provides funding to organizations and communities to invest in new or expanding child care businesses, including facility improvements, worker training, attraction, retention and licensing, and other strategies to address the child care shortage.
Since the office’s inception in July 2023, DEED has awarded over $13 million in grants to 56 organizations to fund child care startups or business expansions, resulting in over 4,000 new child care slots.
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