Coordinated Raid in Central Minnesota Nets Nine Suspects in Large Scale Cocaine Trafficking Investigation

(KNSI) — Coordinated raids in the St. Cloud area and beyond on May 10th netted nine suspects, several pounds of cocaine, six vehicles, a motorcycle and more than $10,000 in cash.

According to the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, it was part of a nearly yearlong, collaborative multi-agency investigation into a large-scale cocaine trafficking network that moved narcotics from Puerto Rico into Minnesota.

A press release says last summer, investigators were tipped off about a group of suspects distributing huge amounts of cocaine throughout St. Cloud and surrounding cities. A number of controlled buys were made, and police learned the group was moving the drug in bulk across the area. They were operating in Benton, Hennepin, Stearns and Todd Counties. In all, more than 4.5 pounds of cocaine were bought and seized during the investigation, and more than 2.5 pounds were recovered during the execution of the search warrants on Sunday.

Seven of those arrested were taken into custody in the St. Cloud area. Two other suspects were found in Columbia Heights and Long Prairie. All nine face felony drug conspiracy charges, and most face multiple counts of first-degree drug sales.

In addition to the VOTF, the St. Cloud Police Department, St. Cloud SWAT, Stearns County Sheriff’s Department and Dispatch, FBI field offices in St. Cloud and Duluth, U.S. Postal Inspectors, Sauk Rapids Police Department, Waite Park Police Department, Todd County Sheriff’s Department, Long Prairie Police Department, DEA, Stearns County Attorney’s Office and Stearns County Human Trafficking Task Force all helped in the investigation.

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