United States Drug Enforcement Administration

RAPID CITY - A Tucson, Arizona, man, Francisco Siquieros-Valenzuela, also known as “Pancho,” 32, was sentenced November 9, to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Siquieros-Valenzuela was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on May 20, 2026.

The defendant was part of a multi-state drug conspiracy involving persons from Mexico, Arizona, and South Dakota responsible for importing primarily fentanyl and methamphetamine and then shipping it from Arizona to South Dakota. Ultimately, over 1 kilogram of fentanyl pills (more than 10,000 pills) were shipped into the State.

“We found this guy in Tucson,” U.S. Attorney Parsons said. “He was sourcing fentanyl and methamphetamine out of Mexico, packaging it up, and sending it our way to poison our communities. Let me be clear: anyone who ships illegal drugs to South Dakota, whether they ever actually set foot here or not, will be identified, tracked down, apprehended, prosecuted, and shipped off themselves to federal prison.”

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Rapid City Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Criminal Chief Gregg Peterman prosecuted the case.

Siquieros-Valenzuela was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.