Juan Carlos Felix, 47, was sentenced this week to 200 months in federal prison for his role in a California-to-Midwest drug trafficking conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said in a press release that Felix was the lead defendant in a large-scale drug trafficking case that involved an extensive undercover operation that began in September 2023.
Felix pleaded guilty in November 2025 for his role in an expansive methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking operation responsible for moving large quantities of narcotics from California into the Midwest, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.
Court documents detail that investigators infiltrated Felix’s network, and from September 2023 through May 2024 an undercover officer coordinated nine controlled narcotics transactions with Felix that collectively contained nearly 20 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than a kilogram of fentanyl.
Felix has prior drug convictions, including transporting controlled substances in Los Angeles in both 2015 and 2019. He served two and five years in prison, respectively, in those convictions, Rosen’s statement said.
In the latest case, Felix, a known Sinaloa Cartel affiliate, was not just a member of a large drug trafficking organization responsible for facilitating shipments of illicit narcotics. Instead, while operating out of Minneapolis, Felix supervised and directed the activities of multiple Midwest-based members of the trafficking operation, including directing co‑defendants to collect payments and conduct drug exchanges on his behalf, the U.S. Attorney’s press release explained.
“The scale of Juan Felix’s operation was staggering,” said Rosen. “Had these drugs reached Minnesota, the impact would have been devastating. [Felix’s] sentencing reflects our commitment to safeguarding the people of Minnesota by keeping dangerous drugs off our streets.”
Co-defendant Victor Parra-Moreno, 31, was sentenced last fall to 24 months in federal prison and is currently serving his sentence in Louisiana. He is scheduled for release in September 2027.
Co-defendant Leah Amanda Kramer, 33, is currently in federal custody, but the status of her case wasn’t immediately available.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, Cloquet Police Department, and other federal and local law enforcement partners.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
