A Carroll man has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges and is awaiting sentencing. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa, 52-year-old Paul Diamond Sanchez submitted his guilty plea yesterday (Thursday) to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine at the federal courthouse in Sioux City. Authorities say Sanchez and co-conspirators sold drugs in and around Carroll between July 2024 and May 2025. On at least two occasions in the summer of 2024, a confidential informant purchased more than 25 grams of methamphetamine. Additionally, Sanchez was found with over nine grams of methamphetamine during an October 2024 traffic stop. The case was investigated by the Carroll and Crawford County Sheriff’s Offices, the Manning Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Laboratory. Sanchez remains in U.S. Marshals Service custody, pending his sentencing hearing. He faces a minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, potentially up to 40 years, and a $5 million fine.
