Gabriel Seth Rodgers, 26, who had been living in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison with an additional 10 years of supervised release for his role in distributing methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson handed down the sentence on November 3 in Cheyenne. Rodgers was also ordered to pay $5,000 in community restitution.
According to court documents, Rodgers served as a “load coordinator” for the Sinaloa Cartel and was responsible for directing shipments of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to various locations in the United States, including Wyoming. After a prior conviction for stealing firearms and a subsequent revocation of his supervised release, Rodgers absconded and began trafficking large quantities of controlled substances. In May 2023, he fled to Culiacan but continued coordinating drug shipments until his arrest.
Investigators used undercover agents and confidential informants to establish that Rodgers coordinated approximately 200 pounds of methamphetamine, 40 pounds of fentanyl, and 11 pounds of cocaine into the United States. Typical shipments included between 20-50 pounds of methamphetamine or about 10,000 fentanyl pills at once. The investigation led to federal charges against five co-conspirators in Wyoming and additional prosecutions in Montana.
A complaint filed in Wyoming on May 20, 2024 charged Rodgers with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl as well as four counts of distributing fentanyl. A grand jury indictment from Montana followed on March 20, 2025 charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Working together with Mexican authorities, law enforcement arrested Rodgers on March 27 in Mexico; he was then deported back to the United States.
The Montana indictment was transferred to Wyoming where Rodgers waived indictment on August 18 and pleaded guilty to all charges from both states’ cases. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Prosecutors from both Wyoming and Montana handled the case.
U.S. Attorney Darin Smith stated: “The defendant brought large amounts of dangerous drugs into Montana and Wyoming—and then hid behind the cloak of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. “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.”
Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme commented: “Montana is hundreds of miles from the southern border. When cartel members and other drug traffickers travel here to peddle their poison into our communities, they can expect to be caught and to go to prison for a long time. I want to thank the prosecutors and staff in our office, our strong partners at these investigative agencies, and our colleagues in the Wyoming U.S. Attorney’s Office for their good work investigating and prosecuting this case.”
DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent David Olesky said: “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. The combination of the great work and relentless efforts of investigators and prosecutors ensured that Rodgers was held accountable for his criminal conduct.”
Bryan Musgrove from USPIS added: “Through our joint enforcement efforts, we’ve dismantled a criminal organization that posed a direct threat to the safety and stability of various communities,” said Bryan Musgrove, Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “This sentencing is a result of a coordinated effort of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to keep fentanyl and other drugs out of our communities.”
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative that focuses resources toward combating illegal immigration as well as eliminating cartels such as those involved here by leveraging programs like Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) along with Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
