Sioux City, Iowa — A Mexican man has pleaded guilty to methamphetamine trafficking and immigration offenses.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, 34-year-old Juan Cardona-Tinajero, who conspired to distribute methamphetamine, pled guilty last week in federal court in Sioux City.
Cardona-Tinajero, who is from Guadalajara, Mexico, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and being an illegal alien in United States.
The US Attorney’s Office says that at the plea hearing, Cardona-Tinajero admitted that from January 2023 to September 22, 2023, he and others in the conspiracy agreed to distribute at least 18 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.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Cardona-Tinjaro remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On the drug convictions, Cardona-Tinajero faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10 million fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. On the immigration conviction, he faces a possible maximum sentence of not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
