The Blue Earth County authorities recently conducted a major drug sting operation that resulted in the arrest of several individuals. The Minnesota authorities supposedly seized approximately 140 pounds of marijuana during the sting. Four individuals face drug charges in our state.
The authorities suspect that three men from a state near ours came to the Twin Cities with the intent of selling marijuana. One of the men flew in, but the other two supposedly traveled by van. The investigators suspect that there was around 140 pounds of marijuana inside the van. The authorities believe that the three men were planning to meet with other drug dealers in the Twin Cities to distribute the marijuana.
The investigators claim that “strong tips” and an informant led them to post surveillance around the area where the men were supposedly meeting, but the details are unclear. The authorities arrested the man who flew in, and they executed a search warrant on his hotel room. Then, the authorities arrested the other two men. Inside the hotel room, the investigators seized marijuana wax and around $40,000 in cash. The fourth individual was arrested as he purportedly attempted to buy marijuana from an informant, and it is not entirely clear if he was involved in the alleged distribution operation.
Each individual, regardless of his specific marijuana related charges, will have to go through the Minnesota criminal process. During this process, one or more of the men may be offered a plea bargain. It is ultimately up to that individual whether or not he accepts or rejects the deal. Presumably, he will make the choice that he feels is most likely to achieve the best outcome.
Source: myfoxtwincities.com, “Men charged in Mankato for trafficking 140 pounds of marijuana”, Rachel Chazin, Nov. 22, 2014