Federal Warrants Executed for Drugs In Western Montana

The United States Attorney for the District of Montana, Michael W. Cotter, announced today the culmination of a 12-month multi-agency investigation into the drug trafficking activities of a criminal enterprise operating in the State of Montana.  In furtherance of that investigation, a total of 12 criminal search warrants were executed on November 16, 2011, at premises in the following communities: Kalispell, Missoula, Somers and Whitefish.  Items seized by law enforcement may be disclosed after search warrant returns are filed with the United States District Court. In addition, 4 Civil Seizure Warrants for financial institutions in Missoula seeking an unspecified amount of money were executed.          

The following federal, state and local law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation which lead to the execution of the search warrants and the seizure of the civil assets at the locations in Northwestern Montana:  the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, the Missoula Police Department, the Missoula County Sheriff's Office, the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, and the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office.  The following agencies also assisted in the execution of the search warrants and the seizure of the civil assets discussed above: Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, the Montana Division of Criminal Investigations, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, the Kalispell Police Department, and the Northwest Montana Drug Task Force.