An ounce of meth sells for $300 or $400 when several years ago it was more than $1,000.
A flood of methamphetamine has been flowing into Minnesota and the Mankato area from Mexico, and law enforcement and the court system are dealing with the effects.
“It’s crazy. There’s so much out there and it’s so cheap. We’re finding larger amounts,” said Cpt. Jeff Wersal with the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office and head of the Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Force.
He said an ounce of meth sells for $300 or $400 when several years ago it was more than $1,000.
Blue Earth County Attorney Pat McDermott said it’s a matter of supply and demand. “The price has just dropped dramatically. The supply is coming from south of the border.”
He said more than half of the people who are in their drug court end up there from meth sales or possession. “Meth is their drug of choice and it has been for a long time.”
Years ago domestic meth labs were a big problem, but tighter restrictions on the sale of pharmaceuticals that are used to make meth and tougher sentences did away with meth labs.
“We haven’t had a meth lab for a long time. It’s all coming from Mexico,” Wersal said. “It’s not worth it for people to do it here. The penalties are severe for making it, and it’s not as good as the stuff coming from Mexico.”
In the first month and a half of this year, the task force already has seized 4.5 pounds of meth. “That’s more than we had all of last year.”
Wersal said meth amounts to about 80% of the task force’s work. “I’ve been here seven years. You still see opioids, but meth is most of what we do.” He said most of the meth is coming from the Twin Cities area.
Wersal said many of the seizures this year were a few ounces, while a couple of them were over a pound and one was a half-pound.
“People with small user amounts aren’t who we target; we’re after the ones who sell it. Once they sell any, it’s a felony.”
He said some people buy meth for their own use and sell a little of it to support their habit. “The ones with larger amounts, they’re selling it to make a living. That’s their job.”
He said the task force has a variety of investigative techniques, sometimes sending an informant or undercover officer to make buys and sometimes using other surveillance techniques. He said they often get tips about someone suspected of selling drugs.
“If you’re selling that much out of your house, it doesn’t take long for the neighbors to call. If you have 10 or 20 people coming and going from your house every day, people notice.”
McDermott said about one-third of his office’s felony caseload is drug cases.
He said drug court, where people convicted of drug crimes have incentives if they stay clean, is more effective and cost-effective than simply locking them up. But he said breaking addiction is exceptionally difficult.
“The studies show if someone is in drug court they have a greater chance of succeeding. The issue is, you know they will relapse. The average person goes to treatment like seven times. For some, once works, but I know a guy who’s been in treatment 13 times.”
He expects his office will be busy with meth cases far into the future. “It’s out there, and I don’t think it’s going to change anytime soon.”
Tags: Meth Mexico New Drug Trends
