And there was also a little bit of luck involved. On Dec. 24, 2013, a South Dakota State Patrol officer conducting a routine traffic stop uncovered another 42 pounds of methamphetamine coming into the state for delivery to one of the defendants. That methamphetamine originated from a cartel in Mexico.
Federal drug charges have been brought against nine people in two states, including three with connections to Stevens County, after an investigation into methamphetamine distribution in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
The multi-state investigation led to the discovery of over 40 pounds of methamphetamine, worth about $2.5 million, that had been brought into and distributed throughout west central Minnesota over the last 18 months, the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday.
Stevens County Sheriff Jason Dingman said the investigation into methamphetamine distribution started locally in March 2013 after his department received complaints about drug sales in the community. Although the complaints did not provide enough information to immediately take action, they got the ball rolling.
A couple months later, officers connected with agents working with a federal Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force based in Fargo, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations to share intelligence and start putting the pieces together.
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