BOZEMAN — The Missouri River Drug Task Force (MRDTF) conducted two operations in Bozeman this week that resulted in the seizure of several pounds of illicit drugs and the arrest of five people allegedly in the U.S. illegally.
According to a press release from the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, MRDTF received a tip at the end of March from an apartment complex maintenance employee who reportedly found small quantities of suspected methamphetamine, scales and baggies in an apartment bedroom during routine maintenance.
Charging documents state the apartment complex is in the 2100 block of South 11th Avenue, near the Montana State University campus.
MRDTF obtained a search warrant for the apartment that was executed on Wednesday, April 2. The Montana State University and Bozeman Police departments, as well as federal drug enforcement agents, assisted, according to the release.
The release stated three Hispanic men were arrested and determined to be in the U.S. illegally. Law enforcement also reportedly seized two pounds of methamphetamine, more than one pound of cocaine, approximately $45,000 and four motor vehicles.
The next day, Thursday, April 3, a Bozeman Police officer conducting a traffic stop “noted observations consistent with the distribution of narcotics,” according to the release. A search of the vehicle, driven by a Hispanic man, yielded around one ounce of cocaine and $500 cash. The driver allegedly attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended and arrested.
According to the release, MRDTF investigators were granted a search warrant for the man’s Bozeman apartment that was executed early Friday morning. The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Department of Criminal Investigations and the Bozeman Police Department assisted in the search.
A Hispanic woman at the apartment was detained during the search, which yielded around one pound of cocaine and approximately $145,000 in cash. Both the woman and the man were determined to be in the country illegally.
“This operation illustrates the long-term detrimental effects felt locally of unsecure borders and the need for strong community collaboration and enforcement amongst all of the cultural communities in Gallatin County,” Sheriff Dan Springer said in the release. “One observant citizen was unafraid to make a report and had a major impact on drug trafficking known to exist in Gallatin County.”
All five individuals involved in the two operations are in custody on drug-related charges at the Gallatin County Detention Center. The three men arrested on Wednesday are also subject to an immigration detainer, also known as an ICE hold.
