Agents find 25 pounds of meth worth close to $1M in Rice County traffic stop

Last week law enforcement officers arrested two suspects who were allegedly trafficking large amounts of drugs into Minnesota.

According to a news release from the Cannon River Drug & Violent Offender Task Force, investigators found that Lucas Jay Madison had been making frequent trips to Arizona and was believed to be transporting large quantities of narcotics into Minnesota.

On April 14 investigation revealed that Madison and another person, Katherine Byrd Campbell, were traveling from Arizona to Minnesota. Law enforcement officers were able to track down the vehicle they were driving and monitor their location as they headed toward Minnesota.

Officers coordinated a traffic stop on Interstate 35 in Rice County in which Madison and Campbell were identified and questioned. A K9 that was trained in narcotics detection searched from the outside of the vehicle and alerted officers that drugs were present on the passenger side, according to the release.

A search of the vehicle revealed a large quantity of methamphetamine stowed in the passenger compartment. A further search was conducted after officers obtained a search warrant, according to the task force.

The release states that over 25 pounds of methamphetamine were found in the vehicle. Agents estimate the meth amounted to a street value of nearly $1 million. The search also uncovered travel documents, boarding passes and rental car agreements, as well as over $17,000 in cash.

Madison and Campbell were then taken into custody and held at the Rice County jail pending arraignment. They are facing controlled substance crimes in the first degree, which include enhancements for aggravating factors and importing narcotics across state borders.