FARGO (AP) - Three men charged in a conspiracy to bring methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine from Mexico and the West Coast to North Dakota and other states will not face the death penalty, U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley says.

More than 50 people have been indicted in the case known as "Operation Speed Racer," including five men charged in the 2005 death of Lee Avila, 28, of East Grand Forks, Minn.

Jorge "Sneaky" Arandas, Gabriel Martinez and Alan Wessels, who are among those accused in Avila's death, could have faced the death penalty. Wrigley said Tuesday that prosecutors had decided against seeking that punishment if the men are convicted.

The decision was made after talking with high-ranking justice officials and family members of the victim, Wrigley said on the steps of the federal courthouse. He would not reveal his recommendations to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

"We go through a careful consideration," he said.

"It also involves not just the leadership of the department, but career officials in the Department of Justice who have been working on these matters across many, many years," Wrigley said.

Another suspect who could face the death penalty, Martin Carrillo, is still at large, and no decision has been made about the possible punishment for him, Wrigley said. "The question is still very much open on him," Wrigley said.

Arandas, Martinez and Wessels are scheduled for trial in September. With the death penalty off the table, they face maximum sentences of life in prison without parole if convicted.

None of the defendants in the drug conspiracy has gone to trial. About 45 people have pleaded guilty, Wrigley said.