FARGO – Nine individuals have been arrested for their roles in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy with ties to the Almighty Latin King Nation criminal street gang, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota.
Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that the arrests were the result of a multi-state law enforcement operation that began on May 15, 2025.
The defendants, who were indicted by a federal grand jury, are accused of being involved in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking ring that spanned across several states, including North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota.
The defendants arrested are:
- Ricardo Jaquez, 46, Oakes, North Dakota
- Israel David Flores, a/k/a Izzy, 45, Audubon, Minnesota
- Michelle Lee Fuller, 38, Audubon, Minnesota
- Jose Manuel Jaquez, a/k/a Cash, 36, Oakes, North Dakota
- Jacob Edward Lambert, 37, Oakes, North Dakota
- Ashley Marie Bleecker, 40, Belcourt, North Dakota
- Alfredo Hernandez Jaquez, a/k/a Freddy, 47, Wells, Minnesota
- Wesley Wayne Tolleson, 37, Wells, Minnesota
- Jason Leonard Gulden, 44, Aberdeen, South Dakota
Each of the defendants has made appearances in federal court in North Dakota and faces up to life in prison with a 10-year minimum mandatory if convicted.
The case is part of Operation Crown Down, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in North Dakota and other states.
OCDETF is a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Division of Drug Enforcement; Homeland Security Investigations; the Oakes Police Department; the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; the Cass County Drug Task Force; the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force; the Pine to Prairie Drug Task Force; the CEE-VI Drug Task Force; the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Brown County (South Dakota) Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew P. Kopp.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned for further updates.
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Key Facts
- State: North Dakota
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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