Macrina Perez is a mother of two with a face that emanates youthfulness and innocence. However, the Minnesota native has been at the forefront of a massive meth operation that is being touted as the biggest trafficking rings in the state's history.
Perez has ties to both Mexican and American drug circles, and was promptly arrested at the US-Mexico border after being charged nearly two years ago during a sealed indictment that involved a slew of government informants. "Ms. Perez is as connected to Mexican drug cartels based on this evidence as anyone I have ever prosecuted, and it’s somewhat remarkable," Assistant US Attorney David Steinkamp revealed to a judge earlier this month.
Her arrest was preceded by a May 2016 bust at a stash house in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, where 140 pounds of meth were seized, most of them packed and ready to be distributed.
"She wasn’t the courier. She’s the CEO of this organization. She’s running it," reckoned Steinkamp.
A DEA agent was able to locate some travel documents belonging to Perez in the stash house, as well as $130,000 in cash and a revolver in a safe.
Perez's attorney Gary Wolf notes how they are willing to fight the case in court. If convicted, the drug conspirator could face decades behind bars, with a maximum sentence of life in prison.