JACKSON, Wyo. — A Wyoming resident and major coordinator of drug shipments to the United States, including to Wyoming, was sentenced last week for charges related to distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Wyoming, 26-year-old Gabriel Seth Rodgers, who had been living in Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced to 30 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Rodgers was also ordered to pay $5,000 in community restitution. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson handed the sentence on Nov. 3 in Cheyenne.
Court records state that Rodgers was coordinating major shipments of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine to multiple U.S. regions. He was identified as a “load coordinator” for the Sinaloa Cartel. He was previously convicted for stealing firearms, and other news outlets reported that he was a resident of Sundance. After being release from custody, Rodgers fled and began distributing controlled substances. In May 2023, he ran away to Sinaloa and worked as a “load coordinator” for the cartel until his arrest in March.
“The defendant brought large amounts of dangerous drugs into Montana and Wyoming — and then hid behind the cloak of the Sinaloa Cartel,” U.S. Attorney Darin Smith said via press release. “Stopping Mexican cartels from poisoning our communities with fentanyl and other narcotics is a top priority of this office and our law enforcement partners. This lengthy sentence demonstrates that our Criminal Division remains relentless in its pursuit of drug traffickers who profit at the expense of the American people.”
Through undercover agents and confidential informants, agents were able to prove that Rodgers coordinated shipments to the U.S. that totaled about 200 pounds of methamphetamine, 40 pounds of fentanyl and 11 pounds of cocaine. The investigation also resulted in at least five of Rodger’s co-conspirators in Wyoming and Montana being prosecuted. With assistance from Mexican authorities, Rodgers was arrested on March 27 in Mexico and deported to the U.S.
“The sentencing properly reflects the significant role Rodgers had in trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl into Montana and Wyoming via his contacts with the Sinaloa Cartel,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge David Olesky. “The combination of the great work and relentless efforts of investigators and prosecutors ensured that Rodgers was held accountable for his criminal conduct.”
