Carmelo Valdez Romero, Meth Conviction, Iowa 2022

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Iowa Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Meth Conviction

A Sioux City man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a major methamphetamine trafficking operation in northwest Iowa.

Carmelo Valdez Romero, 35, was convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on February 25, 2022, after a 4-day jury trial. The evidence presented at trial and sentencing showed that on March 17, 2020, Romero and others possessed with intent to distribute about 20 pounds of methamphetamine.

Romero was involved in the removal of 20 one-pound packages of methamphetamine hidden in the gas tank of a rental vehicle that had traveled from California to rural Dickinson County, Iowa. The methamphetamine was intended for redistribution in northwest Iowa.

During the execution of a search warrant at the property, law enforcement agents seized 15 pounds of methamphetamine from a safe inside the machine shed, and five more pounds of methamphetamine being driven away from the property, including one pound of methamphetamine from the vehicle operated by Romero. Agents also seized $700 from Romero and $900 from the other two vehicle occupants.

All the cash was pre-serialized money used by agents earlier that day to purchase one pound of methamphetamine from Romero’s drug associate.

Romero was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 5 years supervised release following any imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Romero remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, which consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office, as well as the Dickenson County Sheriff’s Department, the Iowa State Patrol and other members of the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

The case file number is 20-4051. For more information, visit https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.