A man from Mexico has pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute nearly 900 pounds of methamphetamine and illegal reentry into the United States, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
Court documents indicate that Mercado-Chaparro sold a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover police officer. Following the transaction, officers observed him conducting additional drug deals. Several days later, law enforcement saw Mercado-Chaparro move two large garbage bags from his pickup truck into a nearby Jeep. After stopping the Jeep, a drug-sniffing dog alerted officers to the presence of drugs inside. A search revealed about 250 pounds of methamphetamine stored in the garbage bags and a cooler.
Police then obtained a warrant to search Mercado-Chaparro’s truck, where they found approximately 630 more pounds of methamphetamine in the truck bed. In total, authorities seized almost 900 pounds of methamphetamine intended for distribution.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Ramsey County Crime Enforcement Team, St. Paul Police Department, Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, and Minneapolis Police Department.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Take Back America by the Minnesota Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF). According to officials: “HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting this case.
