Sioux City Man Sentenced to Fourteen Years in Federal Prison for Meth Trafficking and Immigration Offenses

A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine while illegally in the United States was sentenced on August 2, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.

Juan Cardona-Tinajero, 34, from Guadalajara, Mexico, pled guilty on March 15, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and being an illegal alien in United States.

At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that from January 2023 and September 22, 2023, Cardona-Tinajero and others in the conspiracy agreed to distribute nearly 20 pounds of methamphetamine. Cardona-Tinajero also admitted that he was caught receiving approximately nine pounds of methamphetamine by mail which he intended to further distribute.  Cardona-Tinajero was receiving packages through the U.S. postal service from California which contained methamphetamine that he distributed in Sioux City area.  Evidence further showed that Cardona-Tinajero was removed from the United States in 2010, and again in 2014, and was in the United States illegally.  

Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Cardona-Tinajero was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Cardona-Tinjaro remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shawn S. Wehde and Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 23-4063 and 23-4072. 

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