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.
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis man dies after neighbor assaulted him
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A man has died days after he was assaulted by his neighbor in Minneapolis.
Minneapolis deadly assault
What we know:
According to Minneapolis police, on April 5, officers responded to an apartment building on the 300 block of Hennepin Avenue.
Officers found a man in his 70s unconscious. He was then taken to the hospital.
Police learned through surveillance video that the victim had been hit by another 61-year-old man after a verbal argument.
The 61-year-old man was found to also be a resident in the apartment building and was later arrested.
Police announced Tuesday that the victim died at the hospital from his injuries.
The suspect was initially charged with first-degree assault, but those are expected to be amended to include homicide, police said.
What we don’t know:
Police did not say what led up to the altercation between the two men.
The Source: A press release from the Minneapolis Police Department.
Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota Cost Of Living: Most And Least Expensive Places Ranked
MINNESOTA — The cost of living varies widely across Minnesota, with new data from Niche highlighting a sharp divide between Twin Cities neighborhoods and smaller communities across the state.
The Niche rankings are based on a mix of housing costs, income levels, taxes, and everyday expenses like groceries and gas, using data from the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Tax Foundation.
Many of the highest-cost areas are concentrated in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and nearby suburbs, while the most affordable places are largely found in rural and small-town Minnesota.
15 Most Expensive Places To Live In Minnesota
Niche places several Twin Cities neighborhoods and suburbs in its second-highest cost-of-living tier. No Minnesota locations ranked in the highest tier.
Among them:
- Macalester-Groveland (St. Paul)
- King Field (Minneapolis)
- St. Anthony Park (St. Paul)
- Downtown East (Minneapolis)
- East Harriet (Minneapolis)
- Summit Hill (St. Paul)
- Bryn Mawr (Minneapolis)
- North Loop (Minneapolis)
- King Field (Minneapolis)
- Edina
- Linden Hills (Minneapolis)
- Fulton (Minneapolis)
- Lowry Hill (Minneapolis)
- East Isles (Minneapolis)
- Lynnhurst (Minneapolis)
15 Most Affordable Places To Live In Minnesota
At the other end of the spectrum, Niche identified a number of towns with significantly lower costs of living.
These communities are spread across southern, western, and northern Minnesota and tend to have smaller populations and lower housing costs.
Among the most affordable places:
- Luverne
- International Falls
- Pipestone
- Caledonia
- Jackson
- Windom
- Redwood Falls
- Ely
- Breckenridge
- Blue Earth
- Lake Crystal
- Austin
- Sleepy Eye
- Mountain Iron
- Thief River Falls
The data underscores a familiar pattern in Minnesota: higher costs in the metro area and more affordable living in smaller towns, often with trade-offs in access to jobs, amenities, and services.
Minneapolis, MN
Red Sox at Twins lineups: Crochet Day in Minneapolis
After a ruff start, the Sox are still a sad 6-9 but are only two games out of first place. Tonight, we ball behind Garrett Crochet to help close that gap in a wide-open AL East (and AL in general). Game’s at 7:40 p.m. and the Sox will face Bailey Ober, who’s had a tuff start to the season himself. Here are the lineups:
Given the venue, I’d like to add: Fuck ICE. Or maybe I’ll just let the Boss do it:
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