Hugo Arechiga Torres Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy in Iowa

A Sioux City man has plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in federal court, Iowa. Hugo Arechiga Torres, 39, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Torres was previously convicted three times in South Dakota, for serious felony drug trafficking offenses, including a federal case in 2014. At the plea hearing, Torres admitted that between December 2019 and August 2020, he and others distributed at least 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area.

During two separate controlled operations in August 2020, law enforcement used a confidential informant to purchase more than 12 pounds of methamphetamine from Torres. Upon his arrest in August 2020, officers seized $754 from Torres, including five $100 bills that were found to be pre-serialized money provided to Torres in a controlled methamphetamine purchase, as part of a drug debt payment.

Torres faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least 10 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

Torres remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa.

The case file number is 20-4067. Court file information can be found at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

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