Francisco Javier Mendez, Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, South Dakota 2025
A 14-year prison sentence has been imposed on a Minnesota man convicted of his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in South Dakota.
The sentencing of Francisco Javier Mendez, 40, of Mountain Lake, Minnesota, took place on February 24, 2025, at the U.S. District Court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Mendez was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance, a charge stemming from his involvement in the transportation and distribution of methamphetamine on Indian reservations in South Dakota.
According to court documents, on June 18, 2023, Mendez was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by law enforcement in Thayer County, Nebraska. During the stop, officers discovered a bag containing approximately 1,359 grams of methamphetamine concealed on Mendez's person.
Mendez later told law enforcement that he and the driver of the vehicle, who have not been identified, were returning to South Dakota after purchasing the methamphetamine from a source in Wichita, Kansas. Mendez stated that the pair intended to distribute the methamphetamine on the reservations in South Dakota.
Further investigation revealed that Mendez and the driver had made a similar trip 2-3 weeks prior to the traffic stop, during which they purchased an additional three pounds of methamphetamine.
Mendez was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024 and pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on November 22, 2024. He was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Victims Fund.
Mendez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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