On November 13, 2025, Officer Toupal was contacted by Airport Police Officers who advised they were alerted to a suspicious parcel addressed to Rosa Smith, 1221 7th Street East, Saint Paul. The parcel was sent from Arturo Hernandez, [ADDRESS REDACTED], Huntington Park, CA. The name Rosa Smith returned not on file. Airport officers used a narcotics detection canine who alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the parcel. A warrant was obtained to search the parcel. The parcel contained a shoebox, packing peanuts, and approximately one kilogram of a gray powdery substance pressed into a brink, presumptively tested positive for the presence of fentanyl.
On November 14, 2025, Officer Toupal received the parcel and the brick of powder from Airport Police Officer Irvin. A sample of the gray powder was presumptively tested, positive result for fentanyl. A representative sample of the fentanyl, weight 103.9 grams, was removed, sealed. The brick of fentanyl was replaced with a replica substance (not controlled substance) that was placed into the original parcel with the representative sample. A GPS tracking device and light/motion sensor were placed in the original parcel.
On November 14, 2025, at approximately 12:00 P.M., an undercover officer disguised as a FedEx delivery driver delivered the parcel with the representative sample to 1221 7th Street East, Saint Paul, County of Ramsey. The officer knocked on the door, but received no answer. The parcel was left on the front steps outside of the address. At around 12:05 P.M., a white Kia Sportage parked in front of the address. The vehicle was occupied by a male driver-later identified as FRANCISO EFREN PEREZ ROMERO, [DOB REDACTED]- and female passenger, later identified as Hawkins.
PEREZ ROMERO parked the vehicle and he and Hawkins walked to the front steps of 1221 7th Street. PEREZ ROMERO grabbed the package, looked at the label, and carried it back toward the vehicle. PEREZ ROMERO locked the Kia. He and Hawkins walked toward a white Nissan that was parked on 7th Street in front of the home. PEREZ ROMERO opened the truck of the Nissan, placed the parcel inside, got into the driver’s seat. Hawkins got into the front passenger seat. Ramsey County VCT investigators conducted a vehicle containment technique and ordered PEREZ ROMERO and Hawkins out of the vehicle.
Officers executed a search warrant on the Nissan and recovered the parcel with fentanyl in the truck. A receipt for money transfer to California was found in the back pocket of the front passenger seat. US currency in the amount of $1, 330.00 was found on PEREZ ROMERO. A contact named “Senor Sherock” in PEREZ ROMERO’s phone in the vehicle repeatedly called the phone. After a Miranda advisory, Hawkins spoke to an officer. She said she met PEREZ ROMERO around seven months prior. They have been dating since that time.
