At 4:12 a.m. in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the city was silent under winter darkness. Streetlights glowed over Cedar Riverside, everything appeared normal — until unmarked federal vehicles rolled in and Operation Iron North was launched.
In a coordinated early-morning operation, FBI and DEA task forces stormed multiple locations across Minneapolis, exposing a deeply embedded cartel network operating in plain sight. What appeared to be ordinary apartments, small businesses, storage facilities, and nonprofit-linked spaces were actually functioning as logistics hubs for one of the largest fentanyl and cocaine distribution cells uncovered in the region.
Federal analysts had spent weeks tracking suspicious financial activity tied to late-night delivery routes, encrypted payment ledgers, and shell companies. Investigators identified more than 60 financial relay points, multiple recurring drop locations, and undocumented couriers operating under strict schedules. When the data was layered together, a clear picture emerged — a structured Sinaloa and CJNG-linked cartel cell, known internally as the “North Hub,” operating in Minneapolis.
As the investigation deepened, authorities discovered that diverted public funds, including pandemic-era welfare and nonprofit reimbursements, were being exploited to finance narcotics trafficking. Fraudulent meal counts, fake service claims, and shell consulting firms helped move hundreds of millions of dollars, which were then redirected to fund drug transport, safe houses, and courier payments.
During the raids, agents seized massive quantities of narcotics, including fentanyl powder, pill-press equipment, industrial molds, millions of lethal doses, large amounts of cocaine, over $12 million in cash, and dozens of cryptocurrency wallets linked to offshore exchanges. A central apartment unit functioned as a cartel command center, complete with route maps stretching from Minneapolis to Chicago, Spokane, and Seattle.
The operation didn’t stop there. Phase two extended along the I-94 corridor, where federal teams intercepted freight vehicles carrying additional fentanyl shipments, firearms, and trafficking materials. Financial freezes followed, locking down more than $220 million in cartel-linked crypto assets.
By the end of the operation’s initial phases, federal authorities confirmed that more than 5,000 cartel-linked individuals tied to the Sinaloa and CJNG networks had been arrested nationwide.
This case reveals how modern cartel networks hide behind paperwork, nonprofits, shell companies, and everyday neighborhoods — and how coordinated FBI and DEA intelligence operations dismantle them piece by piece.
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