Federal indictment: 900-pound meth seizure in Twin Cities storage unit preceded raids in 8 locations

Federal searches conducted in eight places across the Twin Cities metro area last week were sparked by the discovery of more than 900 pounds of methamphetamine in a Burnsville storage unit, according to an indictment filed Tuesday.

The raids were authorized by a judge May 30 as part of an investigation into a drug trafficking organization. They took place after a prior and separate search of the storage unit turned up concealed vials of crystal methamphetamine estimated to be worth $22 million to $25 million, the court filing said.

The details were included in an indictment against Isabel Lopez, 27, of St. Paul, who is charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers or employees as part of the protests outside Taqueria y Birrieria Las Cuatro Milpas restaurant on E. Lake Street in Minneapolis.

The searches, carried out June 3 in Burnsville, Bloomington, Inver Grove Heights, Lakeville, Minneapolis and Northfield, started at 6 a.m. and culminated in a tumultuous encounter between protesters and law enforcement at the restaurant. The crowd clashed with officers over worries an immigration raid was underway.

The details contained in the indictment reveal the impetus for the searches was a desire to seize evidence related to a "large and ongoing investigation" into drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking and firearm violations for an entity with ties to transnational criminal organizations. The warrants remain under seal.

Agents in the court filings said the searches of a Northfield residence turned up two gold-plated firearms with adornments similar to other weapons used by and seized from narcotics traffickers. In a search at a Burnsville business, agents seized portraits of fictional drug trafficker Tony Montana, famously portrayed by Al Pacino in the 1983 movie "Scarface."

"Such 'homage' images are regularly observed by law enforcement in the homes and businesses of those involved in the drug and related money laundering trades," the indictment read.

Attempts to seize evidence were cut short when protesters gathered at Las Cuatros Milpas, 1526 E. Lake St., according to the indictment. In addition to protests, the Lake Street scene drew questions from Minneapolis elected officials over whether the city's policies about not assisting in federal immigration enforcement efforts were followed.

Two protesters were arrested in the immediate aftermath, including a 33-year-old man charged with assaulting a Minneapolis police officer. Minneapolis police weren't involved in the planning or execution of the federal search warrant but assisted with crowd control and de-escalation after about an hour. Hennepin County sheriff's deputies also helped with crowd control, the indictment said, and a detective was initially on scene related to the labor trafficking investigation.

Body camera footage from law enforcement at the scene led to Lopez's arrest, the indictment said. A still image from the footage purports to show Lopez throwing a softball at the back of a sheriff's deputy and attempts to shove and kick FBI agents.

A grand jury further charged Lopez with obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and a third count of assaulting officers. She is accused of punching an FBI officer's head during her arrest.

"Assaulting a law enforcement officer engaged in their lawful duties, or damaging government property during a protest, is not protected under the First Amendment — it is a criminal offense," said special agent in charge Alvin Winston Sr. of the FBI in Minneapolis. "The FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, will use every available resource to investigate these acts, identify those responsible, and ensure they are held accountable under the law." 

Lopez appeared Monday in U.S. District Court and will remain jailed pending a detention hearing Thursday. She had yet to secure a defense attorney as of late Tuesday afternoon.