Atlanta Woman Guilty in $6M Minnesota Meth Trafficking Plot

St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - A federal jury in St. Paul has convicted an Atlanta woman in the case involving the seizure of about 220 pounds of methamphetamine that was being shipped to Minnesota.

According to the US Attorney's Office for Minnesota, the shipment of cartel-sourced meth was confiscated at the US-Mexico border in June 2022. The drug seizure led to an undercover investigation in Lakeville during which Vanessa Vilante-Lujano and a co-conspirator met with an undercover officer at a truck stop and attempted to pick up the shipment of drugs.

A news release says the attempted transaction was recorded on video and Violante-Lujano was taken into custody.

“Minnesota has become a hub for Cartel-sourced methamphetamine,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “In 2022, the Cartel was flooding the border with their poison. In this case, the Cartel sent 220 pounds of deadly methamphetamine—worth $6 million—across the border, bound for Minnesota. I am grateful to the excellent work of law enforcement, who not only seized these drugs, but also utilized an undercover operation to catch the state-side drug dealers.”

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Following a four-day trial, Violante-Lujano was found guilty of attempting to process methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Her sentencing date has not been scheduled.

Federal prosecutors say the conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Minnesota State Patrol.

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