United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the sentencing of Guadalupe Ramirez, 40, from North Platte, Nebraska. Ramirez was sentenced on July 3, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced him to 324 months’ imprisonment with no parole in the federal system. Following his release from prison, Ramirez will serve a 10-year term of supervised release.
The investigation into drug dealing in central and west-central Nebraska began in 2021 by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and task force officers with the Cooperative Organization for Drug Enforcement (CODE). Ramirez, also known as “Shrek,” was identified as a significant figure in a multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy involving methamphetamine trafficked into Nebraska via mailings from California and Mexico. The drugs were distributed throughout Nebraska up to Omaha. The court found that between 15 and 45 kilograms of methamphetamine were involved.
The investigation revealed an association between Ramirez and firearms. His Facebook profile showed discussions about firearms with others involved in the conspiracy and included a public video of him discharging a firearm from a vehicle used for drug dealing.
Judge Bazis remarked during sentencing that Ramirez was essentially “the second in command” of this operation and stated that “a lot of drugs moved through Nebraska because of you.”
The investigation leading to this conviction received recognition as Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)’s 2024 Community Impact Operation of the Year. Midwest HIDTA Director Dan Neill highlighted that this case competed against other jurisdictions with larger cities like St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel emphasized the destructive impact of drug trafficking on communities, stating that their efforts resulted in multiple indictments and arrests while dismantling a significant drug trafficking organization.
U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods praised the CODE Task Force’s work: “The outstanding work… demonstrates that full prosecutorial and investigation collaboration can accomplish tremendous outcomes…”
These cases were investigated by various law enforcement agencies including the FBI, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations among others across a wide area covering west-central/southwest Nebraska.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States using collaborative approaches.
