Massive meth discovery prompted federal raid in Minneapolis, court documents show
Court documents reveal 900 pounds of meth found in a storage unit in Burnsville, Minnesota, prompted a highly scrutinized federal raid on Lake Street in Minneapolis earlier this month.
A federal criminal complaint filed Monday said the June 3 raid at Cuatro Milpas was connected to one of eight search warrants executed across the state. Those warrants followed the search of a Burnsville storage unit, which the complaint said yielded 900 pounds of crystal meth "concealed in multiple tubes separately held in large spools of metal." The street value of the meth is at least $22 million, authorities said. Court documents do not say when that meth was recovered.
The federal warrants directed law enforcement to search for and seize evidence related to "controlled substances, money laundering, bank fraud, human trafficking, and firearms." Authorities say they collected "relevant evidence" at each location they visited.
Warrants were carried out at homes and businesses in Bloomington, Inver Grove Heights, Burnsville, Lakeville and Northfield, turning up gold-plated guns and portraits of fictional character Tony Montana from "Scarface," according to court documents.
Authorities believe what they uncovered points to an international crime ring operating in Minnesota.
A document from the U.S. Attorney's Office shows the search was considered "high risk" due to the nature of the offenses, so SWAT crews were called to assist in the search.
The presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement prompted community members to gather on Lake Street and, eventually, clash with authorities.
A 27-year-old St. Paul woman, Isabel Lopez, is now charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers or employees during the protests spurred by the raid.
Lopez is a youth organizer for the Indigenous Roots Cultural Center. Her friends say she is a well-known activist and poet, and was on Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue to stand up for what she believes in and to make sure people were safe.
Joe Vital says he was with Lopez and never saw her get physical.
"I've known Isa for years, and she's not one to get physical," Vital said.
"She has a strong heart and strong character and she makes sure she defends peoples rights," added Mary Anne Quiroz, Indigenous Roots co-founder.
Both Vital and Quiroz are concerned for her safety and say they are working to get her legal help and bring her home.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey at the time said the raid was not connected to immigration enforcement and instead was "related to a criminal search warrant for drugs and money laundering."
Court documents show that because of the assaults, federal agents had to leave before they could collect all the evidence they needed.
In the aftermath, an internal memo to officers and staff of the Minneapolis Police Department reiterated the agency's non-participation policy when it comes to federal immigration enforcement.
