Two Moorhead men facing felony drug charges after bust on I-94

(Moorhead, MN) -- Two Moorhead men are facing felony drug charges after they were arrested during a traffic stop on I-94.  Moorhead Police said one of their investigators had received information the pair was transporting illegal drugs from Minneapolis to Moorhead. Their vehicle was stopped on the highway Wednesday as the men were traveling back to Moorhead. 

During a search of the suspect's vehicle, officers say they recovered 15 small bags containing 343 pills.  Each blue pill was marked "M30", which police say is a known description of counterfeit labeled drugs responsible for doubling the number of yearly overdoses in the metro area.

Moorhead Police have responded to approximately 50 overdoses this year compared to 22 in all of 2020. The drugs fielded tested positive for containing Fentanyl. The street value of the seized drugs is approximately $12,000.

"This case is a prime example why law enforcement agencies in both our Minnesota and North Dakota metro area need to be able to work together to fight against the distribution of this deadly drug," said Captain Deric Swenson. 

Brady Allen Swanson, age 33, and Matthew Brian Katz, age 31, both of Moorhead, MN, were booked into the Clay County Correctional Facility. Charges were forwarded to the Clay County Attorney's Office for First Degree Felony Distribution of a Controlled Substance. A 2006 Hummer H3 was also seized after the traffic stop.