Second defendant pleads guilty in I-90 marijuana trafficking case in South Dakota

A second person has entered a guilty plea in a multi-defendant marijuana trafficking investigation centered on Interstate 90.

FILE — police lights · Tony Webster / CC BY-SA 2.0

A second defendant has pleaded guilty in a marijuana trafficking case centered on Interstate 90 in South Dakota, according to the Mitchell Republic. The plea follows an earlier guilty plea from a Wisconsin man in the same case reported in April, and comes amid ongoing enforcement activity in the region, including a June seizure of 157 pounds of marijuana in Meade County.

The case reflects South Dakota law enforcement's focus on interstate trafficking corridors despite the state's expanding medical marijuana market, which saw a 62% year-over-year increase in patient cards as of April. While the state has developed medical cannabis infrastructure—including digital card issuance—enforcement actions suggest illegal distribution networks remain active alongside the licensed program.

Watch for whether additional defendants emerge in this I-90 trafficking case, and whether the guilty pleas yield sentencing details that clarify the scale and organization of the alleged operation.