Federal prosecutors on Tuesday announced the unsealing of indictments charging 14 defendants in what authorities describe as a multi-state cocaine trafficking organization that brought large amounts of cocaine into western South Dakota, including communities in Rapid City and on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
U.S. Attorney for South Dakota, Ron Parsons, joined by leaders from the FBI, DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office and local and tribal law enforcement, said the case is part of “Operation Black Book,” a coordinated law enforcement effort spanning South Dakota and Colorado.
Parsons said investigators have seized approximately five kilograms of cocaine, more than 37 firearms, and more than $60,000 in cash during the investigation. He said the operation was led by the FBI’s Badlands Safe Trails Task Force in conjunction with the DEA and IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the BIA Division of Drug Enforcement, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, the South Dakota National Guard counter-drug unit, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
Parsons said the first phase of the operation took place in Colorado on June 16, when three people alleged to be cocaine suppliers were taken into custody. The second phase began early Tuesday, when law enforcement executed a tactical operation that resulted in arrests of the remaining defendants.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dotson, who oversees the Minneapolis Field Office serving Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota, said the arrests are part of a broader FBI initiative called Operation Steadfast Promise, which the bureau says is focused on surging resources into tribal lands and targeting criminal organizations operating in vulnerable communities.
Dotson said all 14 defendants are now in custody. He also said investigators seized about five kilograms of cocaine and pursued forfeiture of cash, valuables and vehicles tied to the case.
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