5 indicted in central Minnesota meth trafficking incidents

Five men have been indicted and charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in central Minnesota between June and September.

According to an update from the District of Minnesota division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Friday, 25-year-old Miguel Eduardo Del Real, 57-year-old Gerald Allen Jensen, 25-year-old Ivan Lopez, 24-year-old Juan Jose Paniagua, Jr., and 49-year-old Aaron Michael Stenquist were charged in connection with the incidents.

According to court documents, the East Central Drug and Violent Offenders Task Force received information that Jensen was regularly selling pound-level amounts of meth during those months.

A search of Jensen’s residence was conducted on Sept. 16 and task force agents recovered $11,800 in cash, and more than seven pounds of meth inside PVC pipes.

Two days later, agents took Paniagua and Lopez into custody, recovering about 15.4 pounds of meth from the trunk of Lopez’s vehicle.

A more complete investigation revealed Del Real, Paniagua, Lopez and Stenquist were a part of the trafficking conspiracy with Jensen.

The five men have been formally charged and the case is being prosecuted by an assistant U.S. attorney.