Semi Driver Arrested After 20 Kilos of Cocaine Discovered
A Minnesota State Trooper on routine patrol made the bust of a lifetime after finding 20 kilograms of cocaine on a traffic stop last Friday.
Criminal charges filed this week say a trooper conducted a traffic stop of a semi-tractor-trailer after they observed the semi cross the fog line on Northbound Highway 169 in Bloomington last Friday.
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The driver of the semi, 56-year-old Guillermo Mena of Dakota City, Nebraska, told the trooper that he was on his cell phone but was using a wireless headset. As part of the traffic stop, the trooper asked Mena for his bill of lading and his log book. While reviewing the documents, the trooper noticed the trailer was supposed to have two seals on the trailer which were not present, and the log book was not properly filled out.
After finding the inconsistencies, the trooper asked Mena if he could search the semi, which Mena agreed to. The trooper, armed with his canine partner Lusi, performed an exterior sniff of the semi. Lusi alerted the trooper to an odor detected on the passenger side, after which the trooper searched inside the cab. Inside the cab, the trooper discovered a cooler, a large zippered bag, and a backpack. Inside each of those were several vacuum sealed bags containing a white, powdery substance. A field test confirmed the powder was cocaine.
The trooper asked Mena if everything in the cab was his, to which Mena said “yes” and was then placed under arrest.
In total, 19 packages were found, totaling approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine.
Mena is charged with two counts of first degree drugs. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. He’s expected to make an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon.
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