Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
Wenona Oropeza, a 48-year-old woman from Omaha, Nebraska, has been sentenced to more than ten years in federal prison for her role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Oropeza pleaded guilty on October 22, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to evidence presented during the plea and sentencing hearings, Oropeza made several trips between Omaha, Nebraska and Sioux Falls, South Dakota over the course of one year from 2024 to 2025. She had others drive her with several ounces of methamphetamine for distribution in Sioux Falls. The goal was to increase profits by selling the drugs at higher prices in that area.
On March 2, 2025, law enforcement stopped a vehicle near Sioux City for traffic violations with Oropeza as a passenger. Officers seized more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine from the vehicle. Oropeza admitted she intended to sell the drugs in Sioux Falls.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Oropeza to 130 months in prison. After completing her sentence, she will serve five years of supervised release. There is no possibility of parole in the federal system. Until she is transported to a federal prison facility, Oropeza remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
