Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced the arrest of nine individuals involved in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy linked to the Almighty Latin King Nation criminal street gang. The arrests followed a multi-state law enforcement operation that began on May 15, 2025, after a federal grand jury in the District of North Dakota indicted the defendants.
The arrested individuals are Ricardo Jaquez from Oakes, North Dakota; Israel David Flores, also known as Izzy, and Michelle Lee Fuller from Audubon, Minnesota; Jose Manuel Jaquez, also known as Cash, and Jacob Edward Lambert from Oakes, North Dakota; Ashley Marie Bleecker from Belcourt, North Dakota; Alfredo Hernandez Jaquez, also known as Freddy, and Wesley Wayne Tolleson from Wells, Minnesota; and Jason Leonard Gulden from Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Each defendant has appeared in federal court in North Dakota. If convicted, they face up to life imprisonment with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years.
This case is part of Operation Crown Down under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which targets high-level drug traffickers and criminal organizations through a collaborative approach involving multiple agencies. OCDETF aims to disrupt and dismantle these networks by leveraging federal, state, and local law enforcement resources.
It is important to note that an indictment does not equate to guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The investigation involves several agencies: the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Division of Drug Enforcement; Homeland Security Investigations; Oakes Police Department; North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; Cass County Drug Task Force; Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force; Pine to Prairie Drug Task Force; CEE-VI Drug Task Force; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Brown County Sheriff’s Office in South Dakota.
Assistant United States Attorney Matthew P. Kopp is prosecuting the case.
