Minneapolis, MN
Men facing federal drug charges after authorities seize nearly 900 pounds of meth in Minneapolis
Two men have been federally indicted in what officials are calling “one of the largest” drug busts in Minnesota history.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson announced Thursday that Joel Casas-Santiago, 46, and Guillermo Mercado-Chaparro, 44, have both been charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Mercado-Chaparro is also charged with illegal reentry by a removed alien.
The two men were arrested and charged after authorities seized nearly 900 pounds of meth from two vehicles earlier this month, charges say. Authorities initially reported 960 pounds of meth had been recovered.
“A 900-pound haul like this doesn’t just show intent to distribute. It shows intent to poison entire communities,” Thompson said. “We will not let Minnesota become a distribution hub for cartel-scale operations. This prosecution is just the beginning.”
Court documents say an undercover police officer bought a pound of meth from Mercado-Chaparro. Through surveillance after the purchase, police learned he 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.
FBI Director Dan Bongino said on social media that the arrests and seizure were part of “a hit targeting drug trafficking rings you’ll hear about soon.”
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office also charged the men with first-degree drug sales.
The OnlyFans logo is displayed on a mobile phone with the company branding icon visible in the background in this photo illustration in Brussels, Belgium, on November 24, 2025. (Photo by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Minneapolis OnlyFans subscribers have helped the city secure a top spot for content consumption on the site, ranking it in fifth place in the entire country for per-capita spending.
The city’s per-capita spending intensity is a whopping 4.4x higher than the national average.
READ MORE: Minneapolis PD officer outed as OnlyFans model after pulling over subscriber
Minneapolis among top 5 OnlyFans spenders per capita in the country
By the numbers:
Minneapolis residents spent a combined total of $14.3 million in 2025, or $337,248 per 10,000 residents, earning the city a spot in 5th place nationally.
According to the data, Minneapolis residents spent about $39,000 a day on OnlyFans, more than any other city in the Midwest.
St. Paul, meanwhile, saw its residents spend about $6.5 million in 2025, or about $209,589 per 10,000 residents, ranking in 17th place nationally.
All of Minnesota spent a total of $47.9 million, ranking it 17th out of all 50 states.
Minneapolis content creators’ contributions
The Bold North:
According to the data, Minneapolis is just consuming OnlyFans content, it’s also producing its own.
The city is also home to 4,705 creators, who earned more than $6.1 million in revenue, contributing about $1.4 million in combined federal and state taxes.
Dig deeper:
More data can be found here.
The Source: This story uses information gathered by OnlyGuider.
Minneapolis police say they are investigating three separate, unrelated shootings that happened within the span of about 20 minutes Thursday night.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Minneapolis police say they are investigating three separate, unrelated shootings that happened within the span of about 20 minutes Thursday night.
Minneapolis shootings
What we know:
Authorities responded to a shooting at about 6:29 p.m. on the 400 block of Taylor Street NE.
Less than 10 minutes later, police responded to a shooting on the 2000 block of West River Road.
At about 6:46 p.m., police responded to a shooting on the 800 block of Franklin Ave. E.
Police say their preliminary information indicates each shooting had one victim. All injuries appear to be non-life threatening.
Shootings not connected
What we don’t know:
Police say in their investigation, it doesn’t appear that the three shootings are related. Authorities have not made any arrests.
The incidents remain under investigation.
The Minneapolis City Council on Thursday voted to temporarily extend the eviction notice period for renters in an effort to help support residents impacted by Operation Metro Surge.
Under the ordinance, which was approved 7-5, landlords would need to wait 60 days — not the typical 30 — before bringing an eviction notice to a renter. If approved by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, the 60-day requirement would stay in effect until Aug. 31.
Supporters of the ordinance said Operation Metro Surge left residents out of work and relying on mutual aid networks to pay rent.
“Preventing eviction is always more cost-effective than trying to re-house someone who has been evicted,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley, who represents Ward 2.
Wonsley, alongside members Elliott Payne, Jamal Osman, Aisha Chughtai, Soren Stevenson, Jason Chavez and Aurin Chowdhury voted in favor of the resolution. Council member Jamison Whiting abstained from voting.
The city estimates Operation Metro Surge led to an additional $15.7 million in monthly need for rental support. Last month, council members approved $1 million in rental assistance for Hennepin County to help families impacted by the surge.
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