DEA official: Agents seizing large quantities of methamphetamine in Minnesota more often
A top official with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says agents could take a record amount of methamphetamine off of Minnesota streets this year if the current pace continues.
Last year, the DEA seized more than 2,000 pounds of meth in the state, said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rafael Mattei with the agency's Omaha division, which covers Minnesota. That's enough to fill each seat in Target Field in Minneapolis with more than 380 doses of it.
"Ten years ago, we would celebrate when we got one pound off of a dealer on the street. That was a big seizure for us. Today, we're seizing triple-digit amounts," Mattei told WCCO in an interview from the Minneapolis field office Wednesday.
That data from last year only reflects what the DEA is catching, and does not include other federal, tribal and local law enforcement agencies. Mattei said the DEA is on pace to confiscate the same amount as last year — or more.
"In Minnesota, meth is king. We are really swamped with meth right now," he said.
On Wednesday morning alone, agents intercepted 30 pounds of it.
In recent years, there has been a heightened focus on fentanyl and its deadly dangers for good reason. But meth, Mattei explained, doesn't capture the same attention, despite its prevalence becoming a bigger problem.
Congress passed a law 20 years ago limiting over-the-counter sales of products at pharmacies with ingredients that can be used to make meth at home. That led to domestic production dwindling, he said.
Now, the main source of supply is coming across the U.S.-Mexico border.
"[The cartels] are making more than ever. They are pushing more than ever — they're just pushing that product up. So that's why we're seeing bigger seizures," Mattei said.
Just last week, a federal grand jury indicted five men in the state for a drug trafficking conspiracy scheme distributing large amounts of meth and fentanyl, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The group was affiliated with the Sureños, a transnational criminal street gang, federal prosecutors said.
The case stemmed from a DEA investigation.
"The Sureños and other drug cartels are dangerous criminal organizations that are fueling the drug crisis in America," said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick in a news release. "Cartel-backed drug dealers are on notice. Do not bring your poison to Minnesota. If you do, you will see federal charges and federal prison time."
The DEA's "National Take Back Day" is scheduled for April 26. That's when the public can turn in any unneeded medications to their local police departments. The goal is to prevent misuse of prescription opioids.
