Last month’s seizure of 900 pounds of meth is no longer an anomaly, federal officials say

The discovery of 900 pounds of methamphetamine tucked into large metal spools in a Burnsville storage unit sparked searches by federal agents in eight places across the Twin Cities metro early last month, part of what they called a “large and ongoing investigation” into a transnational drug and human trafficking ring.

The concealed vials of crystal methamphetamine were estimated to be worth $22 million to $25 million on the street, the court filing said. It was a jarring amount, both in volume and value. Less than 10 years ago, authorities called the discovery of 140 pounds of methamphetamine at a Brooklyn Center house the largest such bust in state history.

The Burnsville unit discovery is an extreme example, but authorities and researchers of drug trends say meth busts netting dozens to hundreds of pounds are becoming commonplace in Minnesota as Mexican super labs churn out a product with a higher purity than the norm in decades past. Federal agents have said Minneapolis-St. Paul has become a “major market,” with many of those caught supplying Minnesota’s meth having direct ties to internationally known drug cartels in southern Mexico.

Mexican cartels continue to use Minnesota as their hub for methamphetamine in the Upper Midwest, and it’s long been king in the state’s illicit drug market. As its price has plummeted in recent years, meth has become a cheaper, more plentiful option for dealers, and bigger federal busts have followed.

“Twenty pounds was a big seizure back then,” recalled Joe Thompson, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota. “And now you’ll see hundreds of pounds at a time seized. And that’s just meeting the market demand.”

Thompson said a few factors may be behind Minnesota’s transition from a pit stop to more populous cities into a cartel honey hole. The state’s transportation corridor offers multiple ways to reach neighboring states, with Interstate 35 stretching directly to Mexico. Dealers may also rake in higher profits in northern states compared to those closer to the border.

Minnesota’s meth supply arrives in various ways, through mail, cars or trucks.

“In other words, we’re seizing larger amounts of meth at one time than we have in years past,” said Rafael Mattei, acting special agent in charge for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration division covering Minnesota.

The 900-pound meth seizure in Burnsville triggered a larger investigation into money laundering and human trafficking. Details about the case have not been announced as no charges have been brought, but a separate indictment peeled back the curtain on its scope, revealing the investigation turned up a pair of gold-plated firearms similar to the kind used by narco-traffickers and posters depicting Al Pacino as Tony Montana in the movie “Scarface” in what agents described as an homage.

Early in June, agents carried out eight searches across the state as part of the investigation; one on Lake Street in Minneapolis attracted the attention of bystanders over concerns that an immigration raid was underway.

Other cases illustrate the violence associated with the drug’s prevalence in the Twin Cities.

In January, an indictment against Richar Sanchez Mujica for his alleged role in trafficking massive amounts of meth to the Twin Cities from July 2023 to January of this year also detailed what prosecutors said was his role as an enforcer. According to the charges, he was ordered to kidnap a man who owed the cartel boss a “substantial” amount of money.

With help from four accomplices, Mujica lured the man to a St. Paul residence, where he and the others allegedly chained him to a wood pole in a basement and beat him.

Authorities got word and surrounded the home, freeing the victim and arresting Mujica and the others.

Jonathan Caulkins, professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, said meth has become so plentiful that law enforcement seizures don’t always deal a major blow to drug trafficking rings.

“When [meth] was very valuable, if you seized 800 pounds, they were very sad,” Caulkins said of drug traffickers. “Now that it is so darn cheap and easy to replace, if we seize 800 pounds, it’s much less devastating to them.”

What’s more crucial, Caulkins said, is whether a seizure leads to the arrest of someone high up the trafficking chain.