Task force believes $7.75 million meth bust is largest in Minnesota history

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KMSP) - A Faribault-based drug task force seized over 170 pounds of methamphetamine Tuesday, which authorities believe to be the largest single meth bust in Minnesota history.

The street value for the meth seized has an estimated value of $7.75 million.

Agents of the Cannon River Drug and Violent Offender Task Force made the seizure on the 3600 block of Dupont Avenue North in Minneapolis after an investigation that began in January.

The Minneapolis Police, Department of Homeland Security and the Minneapolis SWAT teams assisted in the execution of the search warrant where five adults and three children were found along with 39 packages of methamphetamine, a sawed-off shotgun, a little over an ounce of tar heroin and several thousand dollars cash.

Fernando Ramos Meza, 33, Peter Martin, 34, Javier Lopez, 46 and Juan Daniel Valdez Mendoza, 23 were all taken into custody and charged in Hennepin County District Court. 

“Methamphetamine is still big business in Minnesota and Drug Trafficking Organizations bring meth to major metropolitan hubs like Chicago and Minneapolis then break down the product for mid-level dealers,” said Faribault Police Chief and Violent Crime Coordinating Council Chair Andy Bohlen. “Eventually, the drug continues to spread and ends up in all communities across the state.”

Rice County Sheriff and task force chair Troy Dunn commended the officers and deputies of the task force.

“They continued to work leads in an attempt to locate sources of these drugs that come back into our communities,” he said. “These agents worked extremely hard in this case, which resulted in this significant seizure and multiple arrests.”