A Highway 52 traffic stop north of Rochester on Wednesday turned into a major meth bust, authorities say. Deputies arrested 57-year-old Twin Cities resident Mark Darrel Steffes after finding roughly 3.3 pounds of methamphetamine in his vehicle. He is being held at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center on conditional bail, reportedly set at $50,000.
Court filings link suspect to Chicago and Mexico
According to a criminal complaint filed in Olmsted County court, the case started in October when a confidential informant told investigators that Steffes was bringing methamphetamine from Chicago and selling it in bulk in Minnesota. Investigators tracked electronic cash payments, phone contacts, and movements of Steffes’ vehicle and phone. The court paperwork alleges ties to both Chicago and Mexico, according to KROC‑AM.
Traffic stop, K‑9 alert, and seizure
Rochester police and Olmsted County deputies say they pulled Steffes’ vehicle over on Highway 52 when a K‑9 alerted to narcotics. That led to a search that turned up about 3.29 pounds of methamphetamine. KAAL‑TV reports that Steffes now faces one count of first-degree controlled substance sales and one count of first-degree possession.
Search turns up scale, cash; bail set
Court documents reviewed by KROC‑AM say officers also recovered a digital scale that tested presumptively positive for methamphetamine residue, along with more than $700 in two zipper-style bags inside the vehicle. The filing notes that Steffes’ conditional bail was set at $50,000 as the case moves through Olmsted County Court.
Broader trafficking patterns
Federal and regional law enforcement have long targeted Mexico-to-Chicago drug pipelines that funnel meth into the Midwest. Similar distribution networks were outlined in a 2024 Department of Justice press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois. Court filings in the Olmsted County case that reference Chicago and Mexico highlight how a highway seizure in southeast Minnesota can connect to much larger trafficking routes.
Steffes now faces felony charges in Olmsted County as the investigation continues and prosecutors prepare the case for court. Local outlets report that more details may emerge as future hearings are scheduled and additional court records become public.
