Five defendants were sentenced to a combined total of more than 500 months in prison for their roles in a large-scale drug trafficking operation in Wadena County, according to an announcement by United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen on July 8.
The individuals sentenced are Robert Joseph Anderson, who received 132 months; Aaron Thomas Heifort, who received 122 months; Bill J. Rude, who received 120 months; Carlos Deyvi Valdovinos‑Trejo, who received 84 months; and Jesus Alarcon Valdovinos, who received 60 months. On July 9, Aaron Heifort was the last of the five defendants to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim in Minneapolis.
Court documents show that from December 2023 through February 2024, the group conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine and cocaine throughout Minnesota. The investigation began after law enforcement responded on November 10, 2023, to a fatal overdose at a residence in Wadena County linked to methamphetamine and fentanyl. Authorities identified Rude as one of the suppliers and uncovered a broader distribution network involving all five men.
Between December and January, law enforcement seized over 2.6 kilograms of methamphetamine and nearly thirty grams of cocaine from members based in Wadena County. In January and February of this year, controlled buys led officers to seize additional quantities: approximately 1.35 kilograms of methamphetamine from Valdovinos-Trejo alone and another controlled buy netted both Mr. Valdovinos-Trejo and Carlos Valdovinos with about two kilograms more. Searches conducted on February 6 resulted in seizures totaling over five kilograms of methamphetamine as well as heroin and cocaine.
“Methamphetamine and fentanyl continue to destroy countless lives and communities throughout Greater Minnesota. The sentencing of these five individuals demonstrates the strong partnership across federal and local law enforcement to hold accountable those who distribute dangerous drugs into our communities,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
This case involved multiple agencies including the Wadena County Sheriff’s Office, Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, West Central Drug Task Force, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), Minnesota State Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), among others.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota prosecutes federal crimes statewide using facilities in Minneapolis and St. Paul courthouses under the Department of Justice umbrella; it employs about one hundred forty people including more than seventy attorneys dedicated to community safety initiatives through its headquarters and branch offices across Minnesota, according to its official website.