MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — A Tucson, Arizona, man has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for his role in a drug conspiracy that shipped fentanyl and methamphetamine from Arizona to South Dakota, according to U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons.
U.S. District Judge Camela T. Theeler sentenced Francisco Siquieros-Valenzuela, also known as “Pancho,” 32, on Nov. 9, 2026. His prison term will be followed by five years of supervised release. He also must pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Siquieros-Valenzuela pleaded guilty May 20, 2026, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after a federal grand jury indicted him in September 2025.
According to the announcement, the conspiracy involved people in Mexico, Arizona and South Dakota who imported primarily fentanyl and methamphetamine before shipping the drugs from Arizona to South Dakota. More than 1 kilogram of fentanyl pills — totaling more than 10,000 pills — was shipped into the state.
Parsons said Siquieros-Valenzuela sourced fentanyl and methamphetamine from Mexico, packaged the drugs and sent them to South Dakota. He said people who ship illegal drugs into the state can face prosecution even if they never enter South Dakota.
The case was part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Justice Department initiative targeting cartels, transnational criminal organizations and violent crime.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Rapid City Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Criminal Chief Gregg Peterman prosecuted the case.