Man pleads guilty to role in Minnesota drug bust where authorities found nearly 900 pounds of meth

One of two men charged in what officials called "one of the largest" drug busts in Minnesota history pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Joel Casas-Santiago was arrested and charged last July after authorities seized nearly 900 pounds of meth from two vehicles in St. Paul.

Court documents say an undercover police officer bought a pound of meth from Casas-Santiago's codefendant, Guillermo Mercado-Chaparro. Through surveillance after the purchase, police learned Mercado-Chaparro was traveling around south Minneapolis to conduct several suspected drug deals.

Several days later, charges say police observed Mercado-Chaparro receive two large bags from his truck's bed and place them in a nearby Jeep. 

Authorities eventually stopped the Jeep with Casas-Santiago and Mercado-Chaparro inside. A drug-sniffing dog alerted officers to the odor of drugs. During a search of the Jeep, police found more than 250 pounds of meth, according to charging documents.

Police then obtained a search warrant for Mercado-Chaparro's truck, where they seized more than 630 pounds of meth from the bed, court documents say.

Mercado-Chaparro pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine last month.

A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled for either Casas-Santiago or Mercado-Chaparro.