Left: Photo of the drugs seized during the Wadena County Sheriff’s investigation. Right: Bill Rude, Robert Anderson, Aaron Heifort, and Carlos Valdovinos‑Trejo. Not pictured: Jesus Valdovinos. (Derek Sidian, KBRF News)
Wadena, MN – Five men have been sentenced for operating a large drug trafficking ring in west-central Minnesota.
The following individuals were sentenced:
- Robert Joseph Anderson, 40, of Wadena, Minnesota, 132 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine
- Aaron Thomas Heifort, 30, of Clitherall, Minnesota, 122 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine
- Bill J. Rude, 63, of Wadena, Minnesota, 120 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine
- Carlos Deyvi Valdovinos‑Trejo, 39, 84 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine
- Jesus Alarcon Valdovinos, 44, 60 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine
Federal prosecutors say the group distributed methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin throughout the region.
The investigation began after a fatal overdose in Wadena County in 2023 and led to the seizure of more than seven kilograms of meth, along with heroin and cocaine.
Otter Tail County Sheriff Barry Fitzgibbons said, “What started out as a local drug related overdose death, resulted in the federal indictments and convictions of several people. The investigation by deputies of the West Central Minnesota Violent Crime and Drug Task Force discovered a large-scale drug trafficking ring. This case outlines the importance of multi-jurisdictional task forces and relationships with state and federal partners and its impact on public safety.”
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wadena County Sheriff’s Office, Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, West Central Drug Task Force, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Minnesota State Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other federal and local law enforcement partners.
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