A St. Paul couple who founded a culturally specific addiction-recovery nonprofit is now at the center of a major meth trafficking case, accused of running drugs into the same Twin Cities streets where they had been doing outreach. The pair, 40-year-old Yeng Moua and 37-year-old Xianna Moua Yang, co-founded Koom Recovery last year to serve the Hmong community. Both are now facing first-degree felony drug charges and remain in custody as the case winds through Ramsey County court.
What police allege
According to investigators, officers stopped the couple's vehicle shortly after they left a Minneapolis hotel and found roughly three pounds of material in a black garbage bag that later tested positive for methamphetamine. A criminal complaint says a Hispanic man had wheeled a black suitcase up to their car in the hotel parking lot, then loaded it before they drove away. Two other people seen at the hotel were later stopped and allegedly found with meth packaged the same way. Court filings describe the activity as appearing to be part of a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization, as reported by Twin Cities.
About Koom Recovery
Koom Recovery launched in 2024 with a mission to provide peer recovery groups, outreach, and education tailored to Hmong and other Southeast Asian community members, according to its website. The group advertises weekly support meetings, street outreach, and culturally specific programming, and lists several meeting sites across St. Paul. The founders had been active in local efforts, including community events and collaboration with Recovery Café Frogtown, as the nonprofit worked to chip away at stigma around substance use in the Hmong community, according to Koom Recovery.
Court dates and charges
Court records state that Xianna Moua Yang is charged with one first-degree count of possessing 50 grams or more of cocaine or methamphetamine, along with a first-degree sale-related count tied to 17 grams or more within a 90-day period. Yeng Moua is charged with a first-degree sale or aiding-and-abetting sale count. Bail for each has been set at $150,000. Xianna had a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, and Yeng is next due in court on March 4, according to local reporting. These remain allegations, and the charges have not been proven in court; coverage is based on the criminal complaint and reporting by Twin Cities.
A larger meth pipeline
The case lands amid what federal agents describe as a surge in meth moving through Minnesota. Authorities reported seizing more than 3,100 pounds of meth in 2025, a volume they say reflects a steady transnational supply feeding local markets and complicating efforts to keep people in recovery safe. That level of trafficking has made outreach and client protection harder for front-line nonprofits and treatment providers, according to reporting by the Star Tribune.
Local impact and reaction
The couple had previously been highlighted for their work with unhoused residents and for organizing culturally specific support circles that community members say filled gaps in existing services. Earlier coverage detailed Koom Recovery's street outreach, food-and-resource events, and efforts to help clients secure IDs and treatment referrals. That community-facing work was documented last year by Sahan Journal.
Legal context
Under Minnesota law, first-degree controlled-substance crimes include possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and selling 17 grams or more of meth or cocaine within a 90-day window. Those thresholds match the counts listed in the complaint. The statute cited by prosecutors, Minn. Stat. § 152.021, outlines how drug quantities and sales elevate offenses to first-degree charges, along with detailed definitions and exceptions. The full language is available in Minnesota Statutes.
Investigators say the probe is ongoing, and authorities have not publicly connected Koom Recovery's programs or finances to the alleged trafficking beyond what appears in court records. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, and the case is expected to play out in court over the coming weeks and months.
