Traffic stop on I-35W in Lakeville leads to massive meth bust

LAKEVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - Police conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 35W in Lakeville discovered 200 pounds of meth in a commercial truck being driven by a man who could only provide authorities with a Mexican driver’s license.

Meth discovered during traffic stop

What we know:

Jonathan Israel Tirado-Juarez, 43, is charged with both possession and intent to sell methamphetamine after a traffic stop conducted on Sept. 26.

The Minnesota State Patrol says that around 11:40 p.m., a trooper pulled over a truck pulling a van-type trailer after it was observed driving below the speed limit and failing to stay in its lane.

When conducting a traffic stop, the trooper ran the truck’s license plate and learned that it was expired out of California, according to the charges.

Once stopped, charges say that Tirado-Juarez exited the vehicle and walked towards the trooper, which they noted as "unusual behavior" during what would have been a routine commercial vehicle inspection.

Tirado-Juarez was unable to provide a driver’s license when asked and instead attempted to pull up a photograph of his Mexican Commercial Driver’s License on his cellphone. He was also unable to provide the required commercial truck paperwork.

When questioned by the trooper, Tirado-Juarez said he was traveling from Omaha, Nebraska, to St. Paul, but was unable to define where he was scheduled to pick up a load.

According to charges, the trooper became suspicious of someone traveling approximately 400 miles with an empty truck given the high cost of commercial operations.

Meth truck searched

Dig deeper:

Following his questioning, the trooper said he suspected the truck could be involved in drug trafficking and requested a K9 officer respond to the scene for a search.

According to the charges, the K9 was alerted to the presence of controlled substances during the search and troopers subsequently located four boxes – each containing several sandwich-type bags that tested positive for methamphetamine.

In total, an estimated 200 pounds of meth was ultimately recorded from the boxes.

What's next:

Tirado-Juarez is currently detained pending further proceedings.