SIoux Falls, SD – In a crushing blow to the South Dakota meth trafficking scene, Salvador Madrigal Jr., a 36-year-old man from Mexico, was sentenced to 33 years and four months in federal prison on August 7, 2023, for his role in distributing over 250 pounds of methamphetamine in the community.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Three Sisters, began when Sioux Falls Police Department (SFPD) Narcotics Detectives received information about a couple in Sioux Falls who was selling large amounts of methamphetamine. Members of the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force conducted an investigation into those two individuals, which resulted in the seizure of approximately two pounds of methamphetamine from their home. Investigators also located information at the home that led to the source of the illicit drugs.
That information was utilized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) agents to conduct an investigation into an individual who was arranging to have methamphetamine brought to Sioux Falls from Mexico through California. Agents were then able to work up to two individuals in Mexico who were working to source narcotics to Sioux Falls and other areas.
As a result of the investigation, large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl were removed from the distribution stream. In all, the investigation revealed that more than 250 pounds of methamphetamine had been distributed in the community. The investigation and subsequent prosecutions demonstrate the impact that significant information sharing can have in dismantling large drug distribution conspiracies.
Twenty defendants were federally prosecuted and convicted as a result of this operation. Salvador Madrigal Jr. was one of those defendants, and his sentence is a testament to the dedication of law enforcement agencies working together to combat the scourge of meth trafficking in South Dakota.
The HIDTA program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program has been instrumental in supporting the work of investigators and prosecutors in Operation Three Sisters, and it will continue to be crucial in the ongoing fight against meth trafficking in South Dakota.
The awards ceremony, held on April 24, 2024, in Sioux Falls, recognized the outstanding work of local, state, and federal agencies involved in the investigation and prosecution of Operation Three Sisters. The recipients of the Midwest HIDTA Outstanding Prosecution Award include agents from the SFPD, DCI, DEA, ATF, IRS, and SDHP, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Hodges and Elizabeth Ebert, Legal Administrative Specialist Lindsay Nicola (USAO), and Litigation Support Manager Jeff Peters (USAO).
Related Federal Cases
- South Dakota Cartel Kingpin Sentenced to 33 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking · South Dakota
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- Brian Jackson, 64, Gets 10 Years in Meth Trafficking Case · South Dakota
- South Dakota Woman Sentenced to 10 Years for Meth Conspiracy · South Dakota
Key Facts
- State: South Dakota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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