SIoux FALLS – The United States Attorney’s Office in South Dakota has launched a major offensive against drug trafficking, charging 88 defendants between April and August 2025 with federal offenses involving cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. This operation, spearheaded by multi-agency task forces across the state, is aimed at dismantling drug rings that threaten local communities.
“Drug traffickers who flood our South Dakota communities with illegal narcotics will be met with the full force of federal prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. The office is committed to using all legal tools to ensure significant sentences for those who endanger public safety and fuel addiction.
The effort has been a collaborative one, involving drug task forces such as the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force (SFADTF), Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, and Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. These teams combine local, state, tribal, and federal resources to combat drug trafficking.
Among those indicted was Mario Balquier, a high-level methamphetamine dealer linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Balquier, who had fled to Mexico in 2013 after being indicted on federal drug charges, was apprehended by federal agents from South Dakota following a perilous fugitive arrest. His arrest marked a significant victory for the task forces.
This crackdown has also seen notable successes, including United States v. Rikki Barrowman, et al., where the defendant pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 150 pounds of methamphetamine and was sentenced to nearly 23 years in federal prison; and United States v. Guillermo Calderon, et al., where the defendant received a 25-year sentence for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine within tribal areas.
These efforts underscore South Dakota’s commitment to eradicating drug trafficking networks that put lives at risk and contribute to the ongoing crisis of addiction in the region.
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Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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