EAGAN, MINNESOTA - Two people were arrested in the City of Eagan, Minnesota, during the execution of a search warrant that resulted in multiple drug-related felony charges on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. The culmination of a several-month-long narcotics investigation started in April 2023, headed by a detective in the Olmsted County Sheriff's Office and a Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team member. The final result was the arrest of Teresa Arellano of Eagan, Minnesota, and Eliseo Romo of St Paul, Minnesota, who both were charged with four separate felonies and the seizure of 17.196 pounds of methamphetamine and 13,500 pills of Oxycodone.

Through the investigation that began in April 2023, the detective was able to track a suspected drug dealer to a home at 2101 Wuthering Heights Road in Eagan, Minnesota. Through a cell phone number, the detective was able to tie communications between the suspected drug dealer and 49-year-old Eliseo Romo, who reportedly had federal drug conviction charges already, according to the criminal complaint.

During the investigation in October 2023, the detective tracked Romo's cell phone and found Romo traveled to California, back to Minnesota, then to Florida for several days, and then back to Minnesota. According to the criminal complaint, on two occasions, Romo traveled twice to the suspected drug dealer's home in Eagan.

Following an administrative subpoena from an energy company, the detective learned on November 7, 2023, that the account owner of the residence in Eagan was 46-year-old Teresa Arellano. During surveillance operations of this residence in Eagan, the detective saw a UPS truck at the residence and would later learn that five separate packages had been sent to this address through UPS since July 12, 2023. One of those packages had been shipped to the residence from a California city that Romo had previously traveled to.

On November 7, 2023, Romo again traveled to California and back to Minnesota, followed by a trip to Florida on November 18, 2023. While in Florida, Romo reportedly traveled from Fort Myers to Orlando, Florida, and then to the Jefferson, Georgia, area. During this time, the detective also reported that no activity was ongoing at the house until November 23, 2023, when Arellano returned home, followed by Romo to the Eagan residence on November 26, 2023. On November 27, 2023, the UPS alerted the detective that a package was to be delivered to the Eagan residence from Georgia. It was sent from Arellano but was addressed to another person. According to the criminal complaint, the package weighed around 12 pounds, and a K9 dog sniff was conducted, with the dog alerting on the package. Following a warrant, the package was seized, and it was found to contain 3,692.2 grams of methamphetamine.

The next day, November 28, 2023, the detective, with help from additional law enforcement officers, carried out two search warrants directly related to this case. During the execution of these warrants, Arellano and Romo were arrested inside the residence. During the warrant execution and search of the residence, authorities found several cellphones, wire transfer receipts, a scale, US money, and the receipt for another package that was to arrive at a home in the 700 block of 22nd Avenue North in South St Paul, Minnesota that Arellano had also sent. This address was reportedly connected to Romo's girlfriend.

Once in custody, both Arellano and Romo gave statements to authorities. According to the criminal complaint, Arellano said she had recently moved to the residence in Eagan. She also admitted that she traveled to Florida and Georgia with Romo and stayed at a hotel in the city of Jefferson, Georgia, earlier that month. While at the hotel, Arellano stated she received a bag of methamphetamine from another Hispanic male and then gave it to Romo. She said she was not there when they packaged the drugs but did fill out an address label for the package. Romo told investigators that he and Arellano both lived at the Eagan residence and that he did take trips to Florida and Georgia. He also admitted he did travel to Georgia with Arellano to get the methamphetamine and ship it back to Minnesota. He also admitted that he and Arellano both stayed at the Jefferson, Georgia, hotel together to get the methamphetamine, package it, and send it to Minnesota via UPS.

On November 29, 2023, another warrant was obtained by authorities for the South St. Paul address, mentioned earlier as Romo's girlfriend's place. During the search warrant, authorities found a package in one of the bedrooms. Inside this package, there were reportedly three cereal boxes. According to the criminal complaint, two of those boxes contained around 4,185.2 grams of methamphetamine. Two additional boxes were found within the residence; one was sealed under a bed, and the other was unsealed in a closet. The box underneath the bed was a package shipped by Arellano from California on November 14, 2023. According to the criminal complaint, the detective tied the shipping of this package to a trip Romo had also taken at the same time to California. These two boxes contained around 13,500 pills of Oxycodone. According to the criminal complaint, these pills are oftentimes counterfeit and laced with fentanyl.

Eliseo Romo and Teresa Arellano were both charged with four felony counts as a result of this case, according to their criminal complaint:

• Felony Aggravated Controlled Substance Crime in the 1st Degree (2 Aggravating Factors)
  Sentencing and Fines: 86 months to 40 years and/or a fine of $300,000 to $1,000,000
  -- The aggregating factors for this charge and the one below included the transfer of a controlled substance across a state or international border and into the state of Minnesota, that both Mr. Romo and Ms. Arellano have a high position in the drug distribution hierarchy, and they or an accomplice of theirs had possession of drug equipment, drug paraphernalia, documents, or money that showed the cultivating, manufacturing, distribution, or possession of a controlled substance in amounts larger than the minimum threshold amount for the offense.

• Felony Aggravated Controlled Substance Crime in the 1st Degree (2 Aggravating Factors)
  Sentencing and Fines: 86 months to 40 years and/or a fine of $300,000 to $1,000,000

• Felony Controlled Substance Crime in the 1st Degree (Sale) (Cocaine/Meth) (17 or more grams)
  Sentencing and Fines: 0 to 30 years and/or a fine of $300,000 to $1,000,000

• Felony Controlled Substance Crime in the 1st Degree (Sale) (Heroin or Fentanyl) (10 or more grams or 40 or more dosage units)
  Sentencing and Fines: 0 to 30 years and/or a fine of $300,000 to $1,000,000

Teresa Arellano has a $400,000 bond with conditions and a bond of $300,00 with conditions. Her next court date is January 17, 2024, at 1:30 PM in Hastings. Eliseo Romo has a $500,000 bond with conditions and a bond of $400,000 with conditions. His next court appearance is December 27, 2023, at 9 AM in Hastings. We contacted Olmstead County Sheriff for comment on the case, but they could not provide any further comment due to the ongoing investigation.

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