Authorities seize 10+ pounds of cartel drugs from home, charge alleged possessor
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Minnesota (WCCO) — Authorities recovered more than 10 pounds of drugs from a Brooklyn Center home Thursday and subsequently charged a man who said he entered the United States illegally to sell the drugs for a Mexican cartel.
The 39-year-old man is charged with four counts of first-degree aggravated controlled substance crimes, according to court documents filed in Hennepin County.
A drug task force searched the home in the north metro suburb Thursday morning, detaining the 39-year-old on their way in.
During the search, authorities found more than 7 pounds of fentanyl, more than a pound of meth, about 2 pounds of cocaine and one-third of a pound of heroin, according to a criminal complaint.
In an interview with authorities, the man charged said he had been staying at the home for about a week after entering the U.S. illegally, the complaint states. He also allegedly admitted to having cartel ties and intending to sell the drugs.
Investigators said the man admitted to a 2013 narcotics trafficking conviction, as well as a previous deportation.
The man allegedly told police he would go back to Mexico and not return if he was released, prompting authorities to ask for an increased bail of $1.5 million. He remains in custody.
Last month in Hennepin County, there were 38 reported overdoses in a five-day stretch, two of them fatal. A county official told WCCO 95% of overdose deaths are caused by opioids laced with fentanyl. The county is partnering with community organizations and using federal dollars to fight the overdose crisis.
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