RUSHMORE — A Twin Cities resident is being held in Nobles County Jail on a number of felony drug charges after law enforcement confiscated a large amount of methamphetamine during a traffic stop.
Omar Arias-Arana, 30, of St. Paul, was stopped by a Minnesota state trooper May 13 traveling east on Interstate 90 near mile marker 37 between Rushmore and Worthington. Arias-Arana explained that the truck he was driving was owned by his employer, and that he was on his way back from southern California.
Throughout the traffic stop, Arias-Arana was talking on speaker phone with someone who appeared to be coaching him on what to say to the officer. The trooper noted that Arias-Arana seemed nervous and looked to be attempting to mask the odor of drugs in the vehicle.
Arias-Arana reportedly denied that there was anything illegal in the vehicle and called the owner of the vehicle to obtain permission for the officer to conduct a search. The owner told the officer that they had not given Arias-Arana permission to drive the truck to California and granted permission for the search.
Inside the vehicle, the officer discovered two sealed Cheetos bags, each containing one pound of methamphetamine, as well as tightly rolled cash.
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Arias-Arana was arrested and charged with five felony offenses: first-degree aggravated sale of a controlled substance, first-degree aggravated possession of a controlled substance, first-degree sale, first-degree drug possession and importing controlled substances across state borders. Each of the aggravated charges carries a maximum possible sentence of 40 years in prison and/or a $1 million fine.
If convicted, Arias-Arana will be sentenced based on criminal history. He is being held in Nobles County Jail on bail set at $250,000 with conditions or $500,000 without. His initial court appearance is set for next week.
