MANKATO — An Austin couple remains in jail after they were arrested during a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension drug sting involving more than a half pound of methamphetamine.
The Jan. 8 deal was set up by a BCA agent who reported he had purchased methamphetamine three previous times from 57-year-old Reynaldo Rivera Jr. and 46-year-old Josefina Villa. As during the earlier transactions, the meeting was set up to take place in the parking lot of Mankato’s Target store at the River Hills Mall, the criminal complaints said.
Other law enforcement officers were sent to the couple’s residence in Austin and followed them after they left at about 7:30 a.m. with a third person. That person was dropped off in Blooming Prairie before Rivera and Villa were followed to the intersection of Highway 14 and Blue Earth County Road 27, just east of Eagle Lake, investigators reported.
Officers following the couple told the BCA agent the couple turned north toward Lake Washington and parked on the shoulder of the road. Rivera then got out of the van he was driving and opened the hood of the van before taking a dog for a walk in a ditch. As that was happening, an informant the agent was using to translate reported Rivera had called and said he ran out of gas. Rivera then asked the informant to send the agent out to them so he could help them get fuel.
When the agent arrived, Rivera walked him down to a culvert in the ditch and handed him a “Surf” brand detergent box. A plastic bag inside the box contained about nine ounces of a white powder that later tested positive for methamphetamine, the complaints said.
The house in Austin was searched after the couple was arrested. Investigators reported finding another half ounce of methamphetamine and several identification cards with different names, the complaints said.
Rivera and Villa are each facing four counts of first-degree drug sales. Their bail was set at $300,000 each.
Texas Students Coach Teachers on Fitness
New Forecasting Tool Eyed for Hurricane Season
Meet MJ, the Bike Riding Tabby Cat
Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam
Raw: Kevin Durant Tours Moore After $1M Pledge
Weiner Launches Bid to Become NYC Mayor
Okla. Teens Get Video of Deadly Tornado Overhead
Man Shot While Questioned in Boston Probe
School Storm Protection Spotty in Tornado Zones
9-year-old Tornado Victim Loved Family, Singing
Moore Native Toby Keith Tours Tornado Damage
Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage
Okla. City Mayor: Up to 13K Homes Hit by Tornado
Raw: Aftermath of Deadly Attack in London
Paperless Scanner, Vision of the Future
Florida FBI Shooting Has Boston Bombing Links
Garcetti Elected Los Angeles Mayor Over Greuel
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
IRS Official Pleads 5th Amendment
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
