Assistant U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Tom Hollenhorst has prosecuted some of the biggest drug dealing cases in the state and told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Minnesota has become a “transportation hub” for illegal drug distribution ranging from fentanyl, methamphetamines, cocaine and marijuana.

He said that the drugs, generally, will flow from here to places like Chicago, North and South Dakota and Iowa.

“One of the reasons for that is we have a corridor all the way from the Texas border up to Minnesota and the Twin Cities,” said Hollenhorst.  “I-35 is one of the means by which it comes in. And, of course, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is a major airport hub as well.”

Hollenhorst told KSTP this is all reflected in the types of fentanyl cases his office handles right now.

“We routinely see cases involving 10, 15, 20 thousand pills. I mean those are the standard cases, the routine cases,” said Hollenhorst.  “They’re lethal. Just one pill can kill a person.”