Charges: Minnesota trooper finds over 35 pounds of cocaine inside truck engine

A traffic stop in Lakeville three years ago led to the discovery of over 35 pounds of cocaine stashed inside a vehicle engine, according to recent criminal charges.

Prosecutors in Dakota County last month charged Genoveva Perez Perez, 52, of Denver, Colorado, with two 1st-degree controlled substance offenses; one count relates to sale and the other relates to possession.

According to the criminal complaint, two task forces were monitoring traffic entering Minnesota on Interstate-35 on June 11, 2021 when investigators learned of a Chevrolet Silverado with Colorado license plates suspected to be involved in drug trafficking.

A trooper located the truck on I-35 just south of County Road 70 in Lakeville and conducted a traffic stop.

According to the charges, the trooper noticed the truck's passenger-side tires touch the fog line before conducting the stop.

"The Trooper spoke with [Perez Perez] about her travel plans," the complaint reads. "While speaking with [Perez Perez] – both while she was sitting inside the vehicle and after she was asked to exit – the Trooper noticed indicators of possible drug-related activity."

Charges state the trooper warned Perez Perez about her driving conduct, asked her some drug-related questions and then received consent to search her vehicle.

According to the complaint, a K9 alerted to the presence of a controlled substance and the two troopers who searched the truck suspected it contained a hidden compartment "based on numerous indicators," the complaint details.

The vehicle was towed from the scene and the vehicle search continued, at which time suspected controlled substances were found inside the engine.

According to the criminal complaint, a trooper found approximately 15,934 grams, or roughly 35 pounds, of a substance that tested positive for cocaine.

The felony-level charges Perez Perez faces carry significant penalties in Minnesota if convicted, including up to 40 years in prison and $1 million in fines per count.