GLENDORADO, Minn. – Two of the five police officers shot in a central Minnesota drug raid were released from the CentraCare Hospital 20 miles away in St. Cloud after being examined and treated. Combat vests had stopped or slowed the bullets, sources said. The other three officers were at North Memorial Hospital in the Twin Cities and expected to recover. The officers were part of the Elk River-based Sherburne County Drug Task Force that was conducting the raid a at a rural house near Glendorado. It was a multi-agency raid. The names of the wounded officers were not expected to be released because of their undercover assignments. It was known that they were from the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office in Foley, the Princeton Police Department and the Elk River Police Department. The logistics of the raid remained fuzzy to outsiders. Usually such raids include an armored vehicle and a SWAT team with sharpshooters and negotiators with bullhorns. Typically the raids are in the early morning to maximize an element of surprise. The raids always have a judge’s approval based on evidence from police investigators.
Organized against crime. Altogether 21 violent crime enforcement teams in Minnesiota span 70 counties. They are staffed by 200 investigators mostly on part-time but ongoig assignment from 120 local police agencies.
Drug agencies
The Minnesota Legislature has authorized the regional drug and violent crime enforcement teams with state and federal funding. Among them: The Rochester-based Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team, which includes Winona County. The goal is to disrupt and destroy illegal drugs, gang activity, and violent crimes.
Drug databank
In 2022 the Minnesota regional enforcement teams reported:
> Drug arrests: 2,289.
> Non-drug arrests: 1,030.
> Cocaine arrests: 207.
> Heroin arrests: 155.
> Meth arrests: 1,426.
> Synthetic narcotics arrests: 106.
> Prescription drug arrests: 260.
> Children removed in drug arrests: 303.
> Guns seized: 1.086.
> Fentanyl pills seized: 211,172.
> Fentanyl powder seized: 16,603 grams.