St. Louis County Drug Bust Nets More Than A Pound Of Fentanyl

More than a pound of fentanyl is off the street thanks to the smart detective work of the St. Louis County Sheriff's Department and the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force (LSVOTF). During a traffic stop on July 18, three individuals were arrested on drug charges stemming from the vehicle that was traveling from the Chicago area to the Iron Range.

According to details released by the St. Louis County Sheriff's office, the following individuals face charges related to the stop:

• Trisco Rondell Cooks, age 35, residence listed as Chisholm
• Cole Alexander Heyn, age 24, residence listed as Hibbing
• Chloe Ceanna Villebrun, age 21, residence listed as Hibbing

The arrests came as a result of a traffic stop on Highway 53 in Ellsburg Township.  According to the incident report:

"The traffic stop took place along Highway 53 in Ellsburg Township at approximately 9:28 AM, after an ongoing narcotics investigation indicated that Trisco Rondell Cooks  was transporting illegal narcotics to the Iron Range from the Chicago, Illinois area. At the time of the traffic stop, Cooks was found to be driving a company owned vehicle registered to 'We Dat Rentals', a local business that Cooks owns and operates in the Hibbing and Chisholm area."

During the stop, law executed a search warrant on the vehicle.  The officers found more than one pound of "suspected" fentanyl and "evidence of illegal marijuana use".

The pending charges for Cooks are for first degree sales of a controlled substance and importing controlled substances across state border.  The other two individuals in the vehicle - Heyn and Villebrun - were also arrested and "booked with charges pending for controlled substance sales and possession".

In addition to the St. Louis County Sheriff's office and the LSVOTF, additional law enforcement support was provided by the Eveleth Police Department K-9 team and the Minnesota BCA.