Federal Charges Target Twin Cities Cartel-Linked Drug, Kidnapping Ring
A federal grand jury has indicted 11 individuals in connection with a drug trafficking and kidnapping conspiracy that allegedly operated across international borders and brought cartel-linked violence into the Twin Cities region.
According to court documents, the operation began in mid-2023 and continued into early 2025, during which the defendants allegedly coordinated shipments of methamphetamine from Mexico into Minnesota.
The drugs were reportedly transported by mail and in vehicles before being broken down and sold across the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area.
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Federal prosecutors allege that the group operated under the direction of a transnational drug trafficking organization with ties to a Mexican cartel. As part of the conspiracy, one incident in January 2025 escalated to violence when an individual who owed a cartel leader money was lured to a location in Saint Paul. Authorities say the victim was kidnapped, beaten, chained to a pole, and held against their will. During the attack, one of the conspirators allegedly received instructions through a messaging application to "break [the victim's] hands. Break them good."
“This case highlights the inherent danger that transnational drug cartels bring to our country,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “This mob-style violence has no place in America, it has no place in Minnesota, and those who engage in it will be charged federally.”
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Those charged include:
Richar Sanchez Mujica, 30, facing charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to kidnap, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Donovan Rey Lopez, 21, of Minneapolis, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Erling Soren Holdahl, 48, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to kidnap.
Dostin Elizander Ortiz-Garcia, 29, of Burnsville, Minnesota, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Jonathan Salvador Juarez-Ferrer, 25, of Minneapolis, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Timothy Duane Ripley, 45, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to kidnap.
Kendra Sue Johnson, 39, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to kidnap.
Four additional co-conspirators have been indicted but have not yet made their initial court appearances.
SWAT officers during a kidnapping incident in Saint Paul on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. MN CRIME PHOTO
Prior to the federal indictment, three individuals—Richar Sanchez Mujica, Erling Soren Holdahl, and Kendra Sue Johnson were charged in Ramsey County following a January 7, 2025, incident in Saint Paul. According to reports, law enforcement, acting on a tip from within the drug organization, tracked Mujica's location and conducted a traffic stop, discovering methamphetamine and a stolen firearm. Information obtained led a SWAT team to a Payne Avenue residence in Saint Paul, where they rescued a victim found chained and injured in the basement. The trio faced charges including kidnapping for ransom, first-degree assault, and drug possession.
PREVIOUSLY: 3 Charged in Cartel-Linked Saint Paul Kidnapping
The investigation is the result of joint efforts by Homeland Security Investigations, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Saint Paul Police Department’s Violent Crime Enforcement Team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, Ramsey County, and the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force.
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