ST. PAUL — A seventh and final defendant was convicted Thursday in a large-scale drug trafficking operation that transported “mass quantities” of fentanyl to the Twin Ports region.

Carl Maurice Brown, 34, of Chicago, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine after a three-day trial in U.S. District Court.

Authorities said the drug-distribution operation was led by Ezell Cordero Lucas, who went by the nickname “Cash.” He reportedly operated the ring from Chicago while relying on a network of associates to transport and sell the fentanyl to a Duluth customer base between December 2021 and February 2024.

Throughout the investigation, law enforcement officers recovered more than 890 grams of fentanyl and 262 grams of methamphetamine through 19 separate seiz

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