A months-long investigation into a suspected drug trafficking operation on the east side of Saint Paul ended with the seizure of methamphetamine, cocaine, a stolen handgun and a rifle.
Ruben Castillo Renteria, 53, of Saint Paul, faces three felony charges in Ramsey County: first-degree drug possession involving 50 or more grams of cocaine or methamphetamine, third-degree drug possession and receiving stolen property.
According to a criminal complaint, a Ramsey County investigator assigned to the Violent Crime Enforcement Team was told by two cooperating witnesses in November 2025 that Renteria was trafficking a large amount of methamphetamine from his residence on the 600 block of Lawson Avenue East.
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During surveillance in January, the investigator observed a man named Esteban Flores Contreras leaving Renteria's residence and getting into a tan 2002 Saturn. Contreras had a prior first-degree drug possession arrest, was on probation and had an active warrant for second-degree burglary.
On Jan. 24, Burnsville police stopped Contreras driving the same vehicle. He gave a false name and fled at a high rate of speed. Officers did not pursue but issued a KOPS alert to surrounding law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout, court records show.
The investigator obtained a search warrant to track Contreras' cell phone and confirmed it had been pinging near the Burnsville traffic stop at the time. On Jan. 26, the investigator found the Saturn parked behind Renteria's residence and Contreras' phone pinging to the same address. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence to locate Contreras, the complaint says.
When they arrived, Contreras wasn't there. Renteria said he had driven him to Forest Lake around 2 a.m.
Renteria was found in a bedroom and told investigators there was a handgun in his bedroom closet. While clearing the residence, the cabinet was large enough for someone to hide in and an investigator spotted a bag of suspected cocaine in plain view on a living room cabinet shelf, according to court records.
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Based on the cocaine found in plain view, investigators held the scene and obtained a second search warrant for narcotics and firearms. The search yielded 2.8 ounces of methamphetamine and a smaller amount of cocaine, along with a Springfield XD .40-caliber handgun reported stolen out of Kansas City, a Mossberg .30-06 rifle with a scope and two loaded Glock .45-caliber magazines.
Renteria waived his Miranda rights and admitted the cocaine and the firearms were his. He said the Glock magazines belonged to Contreras, according to court records.
Contreras was arrested the next day after a Ramsey County deputy tried to stop him for speeding in an alley near Renteria's neighborhood. He fled on foot but was caught and found with methamphetamine in his sweatshirt pocket and he was charged separately with third-degree drug possession in Ramsey County.
Bail for Renteria was set at $100,000. The top charge of first-degree drug possession carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
