Wakefield, who grew up in a rough area of Detroit and began his life of crime as a teen,was seen near the town of White Shield with an associate, a Native American womanwilling to sell drugs to feed her addiction. "Thats a lot of love and frustration.". Published: Aug. 2, 2017 at 3:30 PM PDT. Charges announced in large drug operation on Native American reservations in ND Investigators are calling it "Operation Blue Prairie" January 7, 2021 Raya Quttaineh NORTH DAKOTA Twenty. Barth with little incident. Bismarck Police Department received information that Barth was It's a19-hour drivefrom Detroit to New Town. February 24, 2021 FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) - Outgoing U.S. Attorney for North Dakota Drew Wrigley announces key arrests in a major drug trafficking investigation. 1 killer. Thomas Beebe, 25, Brian Brelje, 21, and Rosalio Guitron-Vargas, 37. The two used a methodical approach to recruit sellers who would in turn recruit others, Wrigley said. 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The criminal indictment states the pills were distributed in or near the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, Spirit Lake Indian Reservation and Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. Copyright 2021 KVLY. cut and take meth. By 2017, she was in the grip of addiction. Feland said the men arrested represent three levels of the drug Secure .gov websites use HTTPSA lock ( afternoon that Barth was at the Ramada Limited Suites in Bismarck. A Detroit man convicted of running a drug trafficking organization that targeted three of the states reservations was sentenced to 30 years i, A Detroit man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for his part in a drug trafficking organization that targeted American Indian Reservati. An officer responded to a high-dollar theft at Dunham Sports on Monday. Drug Bust. "The illegal drug trade is so devastating," said MHA Nation Chairman Mark Fox, an attorney andU.S. Marine Corp veteran. of methamphetamine with a street value of roughly $300,000, and roughly 170 grams of fentanyl, with a street value of around $350,000. Court records indicate Berg had an initial appearance scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. Cheyenne died alone in the hotel room, one of many fromthe reservation and across the country who succumbed to a fentanyl overdose. Twenty-nine-year-old Jacob Wishinsky, FARGO (KVRR) An intensive drug investigation that started in February has ended with the arrest of a Fargo man. The two brothers -- Darius Sledge and Baquan Sledge -- face drug conspiracy, money laundering, drug possession and distribution, and other charges for allegedly bringing pills to North Dakota from the Detroit area and targeting people to sell for them. 26 indicted in drug operation that targeted North Dakota reservations The collaborative work of the DEA and the Cass County Drug Task Force is one of the most important protections we have in place to stop the flow of drugs into our community, said West Fargo Police Chief Denis Otterness. Drug Bust - KX NEWS If the meth had been They were pretty efficient in doing that, he said. 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All rights reserved. cops@ndonline.com. $272,000 of drugs seized by Narcotics Task Force in bust at Williston Hotel meth and marijuana, class A and B felonies that carry a combined The same pill could sell for $70 or $80 in North Dakota. said. from Washington for others - like Barth - who broke down the large Anyone struggling with addiction can find help through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's national helpline, 1-800-662-HELP. It caused an increase in overdoses and deaths in the. An official website of the United States government. White is haunted by all the losses in her community, andprefers to stay away from the funerals: "Thats somebody you didnt get to save.". For me, this is the biggest enemy against our people. afternoon. 26 indicted in drug operation that targeted North Dakota reservations. The drug division chief's brother, Jeff White, leads a team ofsix canine handlers and eight dogs to find drugs, bombs, guns and cadavers. Indian reservations can be easy prey because dealers can find a midlevel person who can be trusted and law enforcement is generally understaffed, Wrigley said. Officers, paramedics and even many drug users carry the opioid antidotenaloxone. farmstead during the March raid, but the drugs found and subsequent A locked padlock On Wednesday, December 8, 2021 the bust came after a tip that a drug courier was at a West Fargo hotel. Those who havebeen banished havea right to appeal, but none have so far. Several law enforcement agencies Updated: Sep 10, 2021 / 01:39 PM CDT. Members of the Cass County Drug Task Force identified two possible suspects and detectives obtained a search warrant for a room at the Rodeway. TRAVIS SVIHOVEC. When Packineauvisited her daughter'sgrave this summer, she found a little blue plastic dinosaur that Kasten, now4, left near his mom's granite tombstone. SHARE. "This is pretty high-grade meth.". Causes, Symptoms & Treatments, Bill to close North Dakota public employees' pension plan goes to Burgum, North Dakota Gov. In 2015, investigations began into a drug ring responsible for trafficking tens of thousands of Oxycodone pills, worth an estimated $2.5 million, throughout the three North Dakota reservations and Michigan. "It's taking so many lives," she said. For Immediate Release. We knock off two, and four more come. "With drug investigations, time is of the essence," Feland said. North Dakota reports jump in drug overdose deaths | AP News But drug traffickers can get a lot more money hauling drugs here, where there are fewer police and competing dealers. North Dakota's U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley says it's a step in the right direction. Dawn White, a 45-year-old tribal drug agentwho grew up on the reservation, teamed with Cheyenne's parents to get the young womaninto treatmentand hasmade it her mission to target those supplying the deadly drugs killing so many people there. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Before the funeral in 2014, White tracked down her relative's friends who were drug users and told them to stay away from the service or face arrest. She said Detroit dealers typically get fentanyl from Mexican cartel members, picking up the drugs inborder states. The TribalBusiness Council on theFort Berthold Indian Reservation made a bold move in voting to banish suspected drug traffickers. Investigators said the Ward County Narcotics Task Force and Minot Police executed a warrant at a northeast Minot residence around 11:30 a.m. Officers seized 6.5 lbs. On. Wakefield pleaded guilty in 2018 and is serving a 12-year sentence in federal prison. Many of those recovering at the center were arrested by Dawn White, who nudged them into treatment. Two police officers led a frantic mother into a Bismarck, North Dakota, hotel room in 2018 toidentifythe tattooed arm of a body found sprawled on a bed. On the reservation, traffickers can get $80-$100. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. (KVRR) - A Mississippi man is in custody after authorities in South Dakota seized several pounds of methamphetamine, a loaded gun and a large amount of cash on Interstate 29 near. intent to deliver and meth paraphernalia. Court . A drug pipeline from Mexico visits major city hubs before heading to the Fort Berthold reservation in North Dakota, a target for drug traffickers. Two men were charged Friday after officials found at a Mandan residence five pounds of . Often, fentanyl is pressed into counterfeit pills dyed to mimic prescription pain tablets. The biggest problem were experiencing is the Detroit connection, Detroit gangs. On Fort Berthold, 108 people overdosed last year, and 10 died. Across North Dakota, DEA agents intercepted 1,541 fake pillsin the fiscal year that ended in September 2018withseizures skyrocketing to16,035 so far this fiscal year. The Burleigh County Sheriff's Department received a tip Tuesday Is she short or tall?" Wakefield established networks of area dealers and users in various North Dakota cities and on the Fort Berthold reservation, about an hour southwest of Minot, according to drug agents and court records. Read More. Traffickers areparticularly drawn to Fort Berthold. It's hard for police toquantify the scope of the Detroit pipeline to the reservation and North Dakota, which remains fluid. Wrigley says the investigation, called Operation Blue Prairie, has been going on for a few years and deals with very significant oxycodone dealers based out of Detroit, Michigan. Lifesaving: Family flees Texas to transgender 'refuge' Minnesota, Bipartisan Senate bill aims to keep kids under 13 off social media, Camillas 18 year journey to Queen Consort. Phone Number: (571) 387-3545. quantities and sold the drugs to "street-level dealers" for She planned to move there and share an apartment with her younger sister and resume her studies to become a nurse. maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. "He had some money, flashed it in Michigan," White said. It was. This was a multiagency operation comprised of investigators from the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Fargo Police Department, West Fargo Police Department, Moorhead Police Department, Cass County Sheriffs Office, and Clay County Sheriffs Office. The two also are charged with operating a continuous criminal enterprise, which means they organized the business, managed at least five people and derived a substantial income by doing so. White and the tribal drug force, Bismarck police, a local drug task force and agents with Homeland Security Investigations and the DEA teamed to nab Wakefield and severalothers in 2017. (The Associated Press contributed to this report. About $80,000 worth of meth and marijuana was seized in what law Her talent playing for the high school in the town of Parshall, on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, secured Cheyenne acollege scholarship. The. (KVRR) A Mississippi man is in custody after authorities in South Dakota seized several pounds of methamphetamine, a loaded gun and a large amount of cash on Interstate 29 near the North Dakota border. Barth and Guitron-Vargas were charged with conspiracy to deliver WEST FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) - The Cass County Drug Task Force with the Drug Enforcement Administration made a significant methamphetamine drug bust. 2021 Oct 1, 2021; The names of Bakers two children are tattooed on her forearms to cover scars from past intravenous needle use and to inspire her to stay sober. By the fall of 2018, Cheyenne agreed to make a bold change and return to Phoenix to reenter treatment. Wrigley says those indicted targeted and preyed on low-level dealers across Indian Country in North Dakota. The indictment is a major step in the fight against drugs, Wrigley said, but he added that its not the solution. FARGO, N.D., On January 7, Drew Wrigley, U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota, announced charges against 26 defendants involved in Operation Blue Prairie, a drug pipeline connecting individuals in Detroit, Michigan, to the Spirit Lake, Turtle Mountain and Fort Berthold Indian Reservations in North Dakota. A Ward County Narcotics Task Force Officer acknowledged under oath in January that law enforcement has profiled young men who are arriving in Minot from . Updated: Mar 8, 2021 / 05:53 PM CST A Minot man was arrested on Sunday after police noticed him driving a vehicle without license plates and realized he had a warrant out for his arrest. The Tribal Business Council is based just outside New Town, a community of less than 3,000that attracts gamblers to itscasino and hikers andboaters to itsparks and 180-mile-longLakeSakakawea. cash bond and Guitron-Vargas on a $100,000 cash bond. All were caught shortly after the raid, except Barth who eluded law Published: Jan. 7, 2021 at 12:24 PM PST FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - 26 people have been indicted in what North Dakota U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley calls an 'unprecedented' drug. Celebrate Jobs Wildfires 37 Clear 3 arrested in 3-pound meth bust BISMARCK TRIBUNE STAFF Dec 10, 2021 0 Morton County and North Dakota Highway Patrol officers arrested three men on. Often, the United States, sentenced Mario R. Garmoo, 32, of Detroit, to 15 years in prison, online guide to findingaddiction treatment, the importance of cultural competence in addiction recovery, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "This is a boulder compared to the rocks we usually see.". Drug Bust Archives - KVRR Local News Rhonda Packineau wears a necklace with daughter Cheyenne Packineau's initials as she visits her grave in the Parshall, North Dakota, Meadows Cemetery. Weve always fought our enemies. Eight of the 26 defendants are from Detroit, one is from Kentucky and 17 are from North Dakota. 3 arrested after successful drug bust in Breckenridge Drug Bust. Minot arrest leads to drug bust | KX NEWS Tribal police must show probable cause, that it was more likely than not, the suspects were guilty of bringing drugs onto the reservation. Four people face felony drug charges following a Narcotics Task Force bust in Minot. FARGO, N.D. The hard work of a Fargo Police K9 leads to a major drug bust in south Fargo. This year has already surpassed that, with 81 overdoses and 10 deaths by mid-August. "Detroit-based guys came over and dated native women, living with them so they have a foothold and a reason to be on the res," she said. Police say they have tried to arrest Anderson multiple times over the past several weeks but were unsuccessful. receiving large quantities of meth and marijuana from Washington BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - The Northwest Narcotics Task Force and the Williston Police Department have arrested a Williston woman for possession of various types of drugs.