Sinaloa-linked meth trafficker gets 21½ years in Minnesota
Eric Anthony Rodriguez, 47, was sentenced to 260 months in federal prison in Minnesota for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute.[1]
Prosecutors identified him as a key operative in the Diaz-Aguilar Drug Trafficking Organization.[1] They said the group is affiliated with Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel and operated across Minnesota from April 2024 to March 2025.[1]
Law enforcement seized about 60 pounds of meth, roughly 1,500 fentanyl pills and more than $20,000 linked to the ring.[1] Three pounds of meth were taken from Rodriguez after a November 2025 traffic stop, and agents later searched locations in Columbia Heights, Hastings and Rochester.[1]
The investigation involved the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minnesota State Patrol and multiple county sheriffs' offices and local police departments.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Defendant Eric Anthony Rodriguez, 47, was sentenced to 260 months (21.5 years) in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute.
- Rodriguez was a key operative in the Diaz-Aguilar Drug Trafficking Organization, which prosecutors say is affiliated with Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and operated across Minnesota from April 2024 to March 2025.
- Law enforcement seized about 60 pounds of meth, roughly 1,500 fentanyl pills and more than $20,000 linked to the ring, including three pounds of meth taken from Rodriguez after a November 2025 traffic stop and searches in Columbia Heights, Hastings and Rochester.
- The investigation involved numerous agencies, including the Minnesota BCA, DEA, ATF, Minnesota State Patrol, and multiple county sheriffs’ offices and local police departments.
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