Downtown Minneapolis Traffic Stop Leads to 57-Pound Meth Seizure
Three people are charged in connection with a downtown Minneapolis traffic stop that state troopers say led to the seizure of more than 57 pounds of methamphetamine.
According to the criminal complaints, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper was briefed on Jan. 8 by officers conducting surveillance on a man who investigators say had just engaged in a suspected drug transaction involving a Toyota Camry.
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Junior De Jesus Herrera Berrios, 18, of Burnsville, Jose Napoleon Hernandez Castro, 22, of Burnsville, and Jose Antonio Loza Gonzalez, 18, of Apple Valley, are each charged in Hennepin County District Court with first-degree possession of a controlled substance.
The trooper observed the Toyota Camry associated with the man traveling south on Portland Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. The driver made an abrupt lane change and accelerated before braking suddenly. The vehicle also had heavily tinted rear windows later measured at 18 percent light transmittance. A traffic stop was initiated near Portland Avenue and East 15th Street.
Herrera Berrios was identified as the driver. Court records say he did not have a valid driver’s license and instead provided a Minnesota identification card. Loza Gonzalez was seated in the front passenger seat and Hernandez Castro was seated behind the driver.
While speaking with Herrera Berrios, the trooper noted conflicting explanations about where the group had been and where they were going. Herrera Berrios initially said they were coming from a hotel, then later said they were coming from a house and that they worked nearby. The trooper noted nervous behavior and avoidance of eye contact.
After additional troopers arrived, each passenger was questioned separately. Investigators reported that Loza Gonzalez and Hernandez Castro also gave accounts that conflicted with each other and with Herrera Berrios, including whether they had been at a hotel or an apartment and who owned the vehicle.
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Herrera Berrios later consented to a search of the vehicle. A State Patrol K-9 conducted a sniff of the exterior and alerted near the rear driver-side wheel well.
During the search, troopers reported finding a large suitcase in the trunk containing 19 brick-shaped packages wrapped in aluminum-colored material. One package was opened and field-tested positive for methamphetamine. That single brick weighed about 1.4 kilograms, or just over three pounds. Investigators say the 19 bricks together weighed more than 57 pounds.
Troopers also located a backpack inside the vehicle containing three additional brick-shaped packages wrapped in similar material. Two smaller plastic baggies weighing a combined 17.16 grams of methamphetamine were found hidden in a sunglasses visor near the front headliner, according to the complaints.
All three defendants were taken into custody at the scene and made their initial court appearances last week. Bail for Jose Napoleon Hernandez Castro was set at $200,000. Junior De Jesus Herrera Berrios and Jose Antonio Loza Gonzalez each had bail set at $50,000 with conditions that include electronic monitoring and random drug testing. Herrera Berrios and Loza Gonzalez have since posted bail and been released, while Hernandez Castro remains in custody.
Each defendant is charged with one count of first-degree possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
