MADISON, WI (WSAU) The arrests in a Wisconsin drug ring now spread to California.
37-year-old Marcus Castenada of Pamona pled guilty in federal court to supplying the crystal meth that was shipped to Minneapolis and sold in Wisconsin. He’s the 20th person arrested as federal authorities have moved to break-up the drug ring. It its peak, the operation was selling more than $6-million with of drugs in Wisconsin.
US Attorney Scott Bader announced the guilty plea on Friday. He said the drug rink was involved in “an effort to create more addicts and therefore more customers.”
The group began supplying “ice” or “crystal meth” in Wausau, Merrill, Medford, Abbotsford, and Athens starting in 2013. The drugs were transported from California to Minnesota and Wisconsin in rental cars. Up to five pounds a week of meth was being sent into the area. The drugs came into California from a Mexican drug cartel.
“Without the help of other local agencies, state agencies, federal agencies, we would not be able to bring over half a million doses of narcotics off of the streets like we did,” said Lt. Tim Fischer, of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
The conspiracy operated until May 2016 following a three-year investigation by local, state and federal authorities.