2023 Spring Program Highlights - Southwest Montana Drug Task Force (SWDTF)

• March 22 2023

The Montana Board of Crime Control is pleased to announce the Spring 2023 Program Highlights recipient:

Southwest Montana Drug Task Force

The Southwest Montana Drug Task Force (SWDTF) was established in 1994 to combat drug trafficking, investigate and respond to drug endangered children cases, support local law enforcement, and conduct public outreach and education on the dangers of illicit drugs. SWDTF is the primary drug enforcement and investigation unit that serves Butte-Silver Bow and surrounding counties in the region, including Madison, Jefferson, Powell, and Deer Lodge. They also serve communities such as Deer Lodge, Whitehall, Boulder, Phillipsburg, and Dillon.

SWDTF is overseen by the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) with a Regional Agent in Charge serving as the task force commander. The task force is comprised of DCI Agents, staff, and a Task Force Officer (TFO) from Butte – Silver Bow Law Enforcement.

The SWDTF vigorously investigates drug trafficking organizations involved in trafficking dangerous drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, and committing drug-related violent crime.

In 2022, SWDTF dismantled a significant drug trafficking organization following an investigation that spanned more than 2 years. The organization was attributed to trafficking over 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine and over 700,000 fentanyl pills, the majority of which was destined for Montana. The organization had ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, which brought massive quantities of methamphetamine, counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, and heroin to Butte for redistribution.

Throughout the investigation, SWDTF partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The investigation was one of the largest federal drug trafficking probes in Montana in recent years and began in 2019 with a tip about a suspicious package containing money being sent to California.

The investigation revealed that the Mexico suppliers brought drugs on rail and by individuals across the border at ports of entry to stash houses in Southern California. The traffickers then transported multi-pound quantities by vehicle and through the mail to Butte. From Butte, local dealers trafficked the drugs to Missoula, Helena, Great Falls, Bozeman, Billings, and Wolf Point for street-level distribution. The dealers then laundered drug proceeds through the mail, cash shipments, and wire transactions back to the Mexico suppliers.

It is estimated that approximately $2.98 million was laundered in drug proceeds. During the investigation, law enforcement seized 65 pounds of methamphetamine (the equivalent of 235,560 doses), more than 2,000 counterfeit Oxycontin pills containing fentanyl, and three pounds of heroin. Law enforcement also seized $32,875 in cash and 19 firearms.

The investigation resulted in the federal convictions of 22 persons, including defendants in California and Mexico with direct ties to the Sinaloa Drug Cartel. The total sentences for these 22 defendants cumulatively spanned more than 132 years.

For full details on the investigation, please read the full article, Investigation dismantles Butte drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.

SWDTF Spring 2023 Program Highlights Presentation

Feedback on This Case

There’s no question that Mexico is the source of illegal drugs pouring into our state. These cases – which are the culmination of years of investigative and prosecutorial work – put that to rest.

Our DCI narcotics agents and Highway Patrol troopers work closely with federal and local partners every day…

The success of this collaborative enforcement action would not have been possible without the dedication, cooperation, and hard work of all of our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable and to keep Montanans safe

I am very grateful for the multi-jurisdictional approach and the cooperation between local, state and federal law enforcement. These are lengthy, labor-intensive and detailed operations,” “This investigation was very successful in that a significant number of defendants were indicted. It puts drug traffickers on notice that Southwest Montana is a very dangerous place to do business.