Beltrami County: Red Lake Man Charged Felony DWI

BELTRAMI COUNTY, Minn. (trfnews.i234.me) — A Red Lake man is charged with felony first-degree DWI after a report of a minivan stuck on a snowmobile trail.

Valen Vaughn Hughte, 33, of Red Lake, is charged with first-degree DWI.

The charge lists alcohol concentration of 0.08 within two hours.

All allegations come from a criminal complaint filed in court.

Minivan found running on the trail

Court records say law enforcement responded on Jan. 5, 2026.

The call came in at about 5:05 p.m., the complaint states.

The reported location was near Irvine Ave NW and Nebish Road.

Officers found a white minivan stuck on a snowmobile trail, records say.

The lights were on, and the engine was running, the complaint states.

Exhaust was coming from the tailpipe, according to the report.

What the complaint claims next

Hughte later exited the driver’s seat, the complaint states.

Officers reported signs of impairment, according to the filing.

They noted red, watery eyes and an odor of alcohol.

Records say Hughte admitted to drinking earlier in the day.

He denied drinking after the van became stuck, the complaint states.

Officers did field tests, including an eye test, records say.

A preliminary breath test reported a reading of 0.093.

Hughte was arrested and taken to the Beltrami County Jail, records say.

A breath test at about 6:46 p.m. reported a 0.08 alcohol concentration.

Prior record cited in filing

The complaint describes Hughte as having a prior felony DWI.

The filing lists a first-degree DWI conviction from January 2023.

Records also list prior cases involving no-contact order violations.

Records also list a domestic assault case history.

Bail and release conditions

Bail was set at $40,000, according to court records.

The bail order includes an alcohol monitor, the filing states.

The order requires future court appearances and attorney contact.

It also bans alcohol and controlled substances.

The order requires random chemical testing, records say.

A criminal charge is an allegation, not proof.

Hughte is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Public records and law links

The DWI law is posted by the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes: Minn. Stat. 169A.20 (Driving While Impaired) 
Minn. Stat. 169A.24 (First-Degree DWI)

Minnesota court records can be searched here: Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO)

Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office information is posted here: Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office

Records show the case was filed on Jan. 7, 2026.

Records list the offense date as Jan. 5, 2026.

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I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.