26-Year-Old Little Falls Man Arrested; 1.5 Pounds of Meth Seized

The Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force recently concluded a 1.5-year investigation into the sales of large quantities of methamphetamine occurring in the Central Minnesota area.

Commander Steve Soyka reports that during the past 1.5 years, the task force has conducted several search warrants in the Stearns County area that has resulted in the seizure of large quantities of methamphetamine. During these investigations, officers spoke with several people involved and identified the same supplier of the methamphetamine. The supplier was identified as Jose Eduardo Torres-Ortiz, 26, of Little Falls, Minn.

Commander Soyka advises that officers investigated Torres-Ortiz for several months using surveillance and information gathering. During this time it was determined that Torres-Ortiz was a multiple pound supplier of methamphetamine. Officers established probable cause to arrest Torres-Ortiz for controlled substance related crimes and went to a family home in the City of Little Falls to arrest him.

Torres-Ortiz was located at the home of a relative at 200 5^th St. SW, Little Falls, and a subsequent search warrant was conducted at the residence. During the course of this search, officers located approximately 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine and approximately $9,000 cash. Officers also located 14 empty, one-gallon, zip-lock bags believed to have at one time contained up to 15 pounds of methamphetamine.

Torres-Ortiz was transported to the Morrison County Jail and booked for 1^st degree possession of controlled substance charges. Other family members present in the residence will not be charged, Commander Soyka reports. Torres-Ortiz faces possible charges in Stearns County also for various controlled substance crimes committed there.

The Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force was assisted in this investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Morrison County Sheriff and Sauk Center Police Department K-9 units, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Little Falls Police Department. The task force is comprised of officers from the Little Falls, St. Cloud, and Sauk Rapids Police Departments, along with deputies from the Stearns, Benton, Sherburne, and Todd, and Morrison Counties.