LITTLE FALLS-A 26-year-old Little Falls man was arrested Monday following a lengthy investigation involving methamphetamine sales in the central Minnesota area, which resulted in seizing 1.5 pounds of meth.
For the past 18 months, the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force conducted several search warrants in the Stearns County area resulting in finding large amounts of meth. During the investigation, officers spoke with several people involved and identified an alleged multi-pound methamphetamine supplier as Jose Eduardo Torres-Ortiz of Little Falls.
Commander Steve Soyka of the task force stated in a press release that officers investigated Torres-Ortiz for several months, gathered information and used surveillance. Officers arrested him in a home of a relative on the 200 block of Fifth Street Southwest in Little Falls.
During the search, officers found 1.5 pounds of meth and $9,000 cash. Officers also found 14 empty 1 gallon zip-close bags believed to have at one time contained up to 15 pounds of meth.
Torres-Ortiz was taken to Morrison County Jail and is facing possible first-degree possession of a controlled substance. He also faces possible charges in Stearns County for various controlled substance crimes.
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Assisting the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force in the investigation was the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Morrison County Sheriff's Office, Sauk
Center Police Department K-9 units, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office and the Little Falls Police Department. The task force is comprised of officers from the Little Falls, St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids Police Departments, along with deputies from the Stearns, Benton, Sherburne, Todd and Morrison counties.
