2 charged after central MN authorities find 3-pound box of meth

RICE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Two men are facing charges in central Minnesota after authorities intercepted a box containing three pounds of meth, a criminal complaint alleges.

The package, addressed to a mobile home park outside of Rice, Minnesota, just north of St. Cloud, was discovered by airport police at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport on February 1. After getting a search warrant for the suspicious package, authorities opened and found about three pounds of a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.

From that point, a member of the airport police department disguised as a UPS driver, delivered the package to the intended address.

Charges filed earlier this month state that the package was received by a man in a pickup truck, later identified as Pedro Corrales, 34, who said the package was for him.

Ten minutes later, authorities raided the mobile home and found the opened box and an interior box containing the meth in a bedroom.

Authorities also found documents belonging to Jorge Corrales Aragon and "numerous cell phones and receipts for money orders showing sums of money being sent to Mexico."

Officials say the money was sent to Sinaloa, "a known source area of methamphetamine."

Speaking with police, Aragon acknowledged he knew the package, which came from Mexico, contained meth. He also admitted to using meth in the past. Corrales, who is related to Aragon, made a similar admission to investigators, according to the criminal complaint. Corrales added that he "owed a person in Mexico money and hoped this would take care of it."

Both men now face drug charges in the case.