Federal prosecutors say a St. Paul man who helped collect debts for a drug trafficking organization tied to a Mexican cartel is headed to prison for more than a decade. On Tuesday, Richar Sanchez Mujica was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after admitting he was part of a meth trafficking conspiracy that turned violent when a debtor was lured to a local shop, chained to a pole and held against his will in January 2025.
The sentence came down in federal court in St. Paul, according to CBS Minnesota. Court records show Mujica pleaded guilty in October to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. A federal indictment alleges he and 10 others conspired from July 2023 through January 2025 to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota.
How prosecutors say the kidnapping unfolded
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota, four co-defendants lured the victim to a Payne Avenue shop, where they beat him and chained him to a pole. While the man was restrained, prosecutors say cartel-linked leaders sent back-channel messages pushing for extreme violence. One instruction quoted in the indictment reads, “you are breaking his hands. Break them good,” a line federal officials point to as evidence of direct, brutal direction from higher-ups. Those details were outlined in the office's March 2025 indictment and press release.
Sentencing for co-defendants and next steps
Several alleged members of the conspiracy have already learned their fate. CBS Minnesota reported that Kendra Johnson was sentenced to more than five years in prison, while Erling Holdahl received a sentence of over 12 years for their roles in the scheme. Other defendants are still awaiting sentencing as prosecutors and the court work through remaining filings tied to the larger case.
Legal implications
Mujica admitted to a single federal charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced under guidelines that factor in both the quantity of drugs and involvement in violent conduct. In addition to his 12-year prison term, the judge ordered five years of supervised release. Mujica will be transferred into the federal prison system to serve his time. Prosecutors say the case is one piece of a broader Department of Justice effort to disrupt cartel-linked drug trafficking in the Twin Cities.
