12 arrested in St. Paul during joint enforcement details; crimes include fentanyl trafficking, homicide

Cory Knudsen KSTP
January 30, 2025 - 12:55 AM

Twelve people wanted for crimes including fentanyl trafficking, homicide and drive-by shooting have been arrested during joint enforcement details in St. Paul.

St. Paul police stated that the joint enforcement details were coordinated by the St. Paul Police Department Narcotics, Gang, Criminal Investigations, and Special Investigations units and the Ramsey County Violent Crimes Enforcement Team (VCET).

Four people were arrested in connection with Operation Cold Front — a three-month-long investigation targeting suspected fentanyl traffickers in downtown St. Paul.

Operation Cold Front was a response to the rise in fentanyl-related overdose deaths, which police say took 180 lives in Ramsey County in 2023.

The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office has charged the following people:

  • James Woodward, 66, has been charged with one count of second-degree narcotics sales and one count of third-degree narcotics sales.
  • Kenneth Lee Wilson, 41, has been charged with one count of first-degree narcotics sales. Wilson is also pending trial on charges of possessing a firearm as a felon.
  • Martin Tyler Shaw, 49, has been charged with two counts of second-degree narcotics sales and one count of fifth-degree drug possession.
  • Elijah Denton, 52, has been charged with one count of third-degree narcotics sales. Denton has five prior felony convictions.

St. Paul police say that eight people wanted for other crimes were also arrested Tuesday and two have been charged by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office:

  • Kastedell Larmarr Thomas Jr., 20, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection to a fatal drive-by shooting in October.
  • Noah Omarjahi Eskridge, 25, was charged with drive-by shooting in connection to a December incident. Eskridge has three prior felony convictions: simple robbery, first-degree aggravated robbery and possessing a firearm as a felon.

“These arrests speak to the dedication and determination of our Narcotics, Gang, and Criminal Investigations, and Special Investigations units. We continue our commitment to protecting our community from the devastating impact of fentanyl and other illegal drugs,” said St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry. “The results of these joint efforts also reinforce that violent crime will not be tolerated in our city. We thank our City of Saint Paul partners, Ramsey County VCET for their invaluable collaboration in this investigation, and the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office for pursuing justice.”