DEA identifies known drug trafficker, Raul Gutierrez
A prior convicted felon was charged in a criminal complaint today with being a felon in possession of a firearm and theft of government property after breaking into an FBI vehicle and stealing a rifle, announced United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
Rosen was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie, Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Travis S. Riddle, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives St. Paul Field Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarrad Smith of FBI Minneapolis and Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito, Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigation St. Paul.
Charged was Raul Gutierrez, 33, of Minneapolis.
“Gutierrez is known at DEA as a violent criminal with a history involving fentanyl and methamphetamine drug trafficking and distribution,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “In support of this investigation, DEA identified him as the individual seen breaking into an FBI vehicle on January 14. The combined efforts of federal law enforcement agencies and the Violent Offender Task Force led to the swift arrest and removal of a Latin King member that instilled fear and pushed poisons into our communities.”
United States Attorney Rosen stated, “Despite the incitement of violence against federal law enforcement by local officials, which resulted here in the theft of a firearm from an FBI vehicle and the destruction of government property, this United States Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice will always put the public safety of Americans first. This alleged gang member, who is a previously convicted felon, is a danger to the community and this case is an indictment of the weak-on-crime policies promoted by the Mayor and Governor.”
“This arrest underscores a simple truth. We will not tolerate individuals exploiting circumstances to engage in criminal activity,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle, of the St. Paul Field Division. “When criminal conduct results in a prohibited person unlawfully possessing a firearm, the risk to the public increases dramatically, and ATF will act accordingly. Taking advantage of any situation to endanger public safety or undermine the integrity of law enforcement will be met with swift and decisive action.”
“There is a clear, bright line between peaceful protest and lawless destruction," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarrad Smith of FBI Minneapolis. "Stealing, damaging, and destroying federal property endangers the community and jeopardizes the safe and peaceful exercise of First Amendment rights. The FBI will never tolerate interference in law enforcement activities. Together with ATF, DEA, and the invaluable partnership of all our federal, state, and local law enforcement allies, FBI Minneapolis will ensure public safety and that those engaging in violent and destructive behavior will be identified and will face justice.”
Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito of HSI St. Paul stated, "As alleged, this career criminal demonstrated a brazen and utterly unacceptable contempt for the sanctity of public safety and the American rule of law when he broke into a government vehicle and stole deadly weaponry, including a rifle and accessories. Public wellbeing must be non-negotiable — no political considerations or First Amendment rights should compromise the safety and stability of our communities, which descended into riots and chaos on Jan. 14. Standing side by side with our law enforcement partners, HSI is committed to investigating all criminal opportunists and bad actors seeking to exploit the public right to peacefully protest and, in turn, endanger our neighborhoods.”
According to the criminal complaint, on January 14, 2026, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation were assisting Department of Homeland Security officers as part of an ongoing federal operation in the Twin Cities, Minnesota metropolitan area. That evening, FBI personnel were operating on Minneapolis’s North Side in support of a DHS arrest operation that resulted in the use of force. As a result of the ensuing civil unrest, FBI and DHS personnel were forced to abandon their vehicles and property at the scene. Individuals in the crowd forced entry into an unmarked FBI vehicle and stole its contents. The contents included a Colt M16A1 rifle and a HUXWRX Suppressor, among other items.
Investigators with DHS and the Department of Justice (DOJ) promptly began an investigation to identify the individuals responsible for the theft and viewed numerous open-source social media posts and videos of the destruction and theft of government property. In one such video, investigators observed a male with a distinguishable facial tattoo, later identified as Gutierrez, remove a soft rifle case containing the Colt M16A1and HUXWRX suppressor from the trunk vault of the FBI vehicle that had just been broken into. Additional monitoring of open-source social media posts revealed another video that showed Gutierrez walking down the street carrying the soft rifle case and eventually place the rifle case in the backseat of a black Ford sedan.
The following morning, investigators with ATF and the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force (VOTF) established surveillance on Gutierrez’s residence. While at the residence, investigators observed a tow truck arrive and load a covered vehicle onto the back. A male wearing a face mask who matched Gutierrez’s height and weight entered the passenger side of the tow truck and departed. Investigators followed the tow truck for several minutes and during which the cover began to lift in the wind, revealing a black Ford sedan like the one identified in social media videos the previous night. Shortly thereafter, VOTF investigators attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the tow truck which resulted in the truck fleeing. The driver of the tow truck and Gutierrez both exited the truck and ran in different directions. Both the driver and Gutierrez were apprehended after a brief foot pursuit.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent. As a felony trial cannot be held on a complaint, a decision to seek an indictment will be made in the near future.
The case was investigated by the FBI, DHS, ATF, DEA and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Violent Offender Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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