Sioux City, IA (KICD) — The U.S. Attorney’s office says a lengthy investigation involving five states has resulted in twelve convictions including five individuals from Cherokee County.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn S. Wehde says agencies from California, Nevada, and Arizona cooperated with agencies in Iowa – including the Cherokee Police Department and Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force – to break a smuggling ring that operated between May of 2020 to May of 2023.

Here in Iowa the sentences are: Dustin Martinez of Sutherland: 87 months; Carl Thompson of Larrabee: 45 months; Craig Miller from Cherokee: 36 months; Jeffrey Linn from Cherokee: 34 months; and Jason Werner from Cherokee: 28 months.

Wehde says over 35 kilograms of methamphetamine were trafficked from western states to Northwest Iowa. Some of those drugs are suspected to have come into the United States from Mexico.