Three men are facing federal charges in a cross-country methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that unraveled in Bloomington, Minnesota, after a traffic stop in Colorado exposed a hidden cargo of over 55 pounds of the drug. Humberto Torres-Rodriguez, 38, of Los Angeles, Calif.; Jose Alfredo Penaloza Romero, 22, of Minneapolis, Minn.; and Irwin Enrique Becerra, 22, of Kansas City, Mo., were named in a federal indictment unsealed this week.
The operation began to collapse on April 3, 2019, when Colorado law enforcement pulled over a California-plated vehicle driven by Torres-Rodriguez. After he consented to a search, officers discovered the massive stash of methamphetamine concealed in a false compartment—known in smuggling circles as a ‘trap’—built into the car’s structure. The discovery immediately triggered a multi-state investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Within hours of the stop, phone records show Torres-Rodriguez began coordinating with Romero and Becerra to reroute the drug shipment to Minnesota. On April 5, surveillance teams watched as the trio converged at a prearranged meeting spot in Bloomington. Authorities observed Becerra hand over cash to Torres-Rodriguez in exchange for the drugs—confirming the transfer before moving in. All three were arrested on the scene without incident.
Following the arrests, federal agents executed a search warrant at Romero’s Minneapolis residence. There, they uncovered an additional sixteen half-pound to pound-sized packages of methamphetamine and approximately $30,000 in U.S. currency—evidence prosecutors say points to an ongoing, high-volume distribution network. The cash and narcotics were seized as part of the continuing investigation.
The case was jointly investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team, and the St. Paul Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew R. Winter and Bradley M. Endicott in U.S. District Court, where the defendants are scheduled to make their initial appearances at a later date.
Each defendant is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Romero and Becerra face additional counts of possession with intent to distribute. The charges in the indictment are presumed innocent until proven in a court of law. If convicted, they face decades behind bars under federal sentencing guidelines. This bust underscores the reach of drug trafficking networks stretching from California to the Upper Midwest—and the federal resolve to dismantle them.
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Key Facts
- State: Minnesota
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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