Gregorio Arreola Mendoza, Methamphetamine Possession, Wisconsin 2021

MADISON, WIS. – On February 24, 2021, a trooper with the Wisconsin State Patrol stopped a vehicle on Interstate 94 in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. The trooper smelled the odor of marijuana and alcohol coming from the car and saw an open bottle of beer on the floor between the passenger’s legs.

During an interview, the passenger, identified as Jose A. Mendoza-Cortez, admitted to having marijuana in the center console. The trooper searched the car and saw marijuana debris on the floor and a marijuana blunt in the center cup holder. As the officer continued his search, he found 20 plastic bags in the trunk, each containing a crystalline substance.

The total amount of the substance from the 20 bags weighed approximately 20 pounds and tested positive for methamphetamine. During a post-arrest interview, Arreola Mendoza admitted that someone paid him and Mendoza-Cortez to transport the drugs from Minnesota to Ohio.

At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that Arreola Mendoza and Mendoza-Cortez were entrusted with a significant amount of methamphetamine. Judge Conley also stressed that such a large amount of drugs would have caused a staggering amount of damage to the community.

Arreola Mendoza pleaded guilty to this charge on November 2, 2021. He was sentenced to 42 months in prison on February 24, 2023.

The charges against Arreola Mendoza and Mendoza-Cortez were the result of an investigation conducted by the Wisconsin State Patrol, West Central Drug Task Force, Eau Claire County District Attorney’s Office, and Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case.

Jose A. Mendoza-Cortez was sentenced to 48 months in prison on March 24, 2022.

The case is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of drug trafficking on communities. With large amounts of narcotics being transported across state lines, law enforcement agencies must remain vigilant to prevent such crimes from occurring.

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