{"id":130011,"date":"2026-05-20T15:45:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T21:45:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/montezuma-cortez-drug-task-force-seizes-1-1m-in-meth-fentanyl-during-undercover-operation\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T09:54:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T15:54:18","slug":"montezuma-cortez-narcotics-team-seizes-1-4m-in-meth-fentanyl-during-undercover-operation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/montezuma-cortez-narcotics-team-seizes-1-4m-in-meth-fentanyl-during-undercover-operation\/","title":{"rendered":"Montezuma-Cortez narcotics team seizes $1.4M in meth, fentanyl during undercover operation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Montezuma
Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin said the investigation work spanned multiple local and federal agencies, with additional out-of-state cases still ongoing. (Journal file)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

The Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office announced a major undercover operation in the Four Corners that resulted in the confiscation of drugs with an estimated street value of $1.4 million as a part of a coordinated investigation spanning local and federal agencies.<\/p>\n

The six-month investigation ended May 8 and was led by the Montezuma-Cortez Narcotics Investigations Team, a two-person joint task force that seized drugs worth more than $13.3 million last year.<\/p>\n

Carlos Miramontes was arrested in connection with the alleged drug trafficking operation. He faces preliminary charges of two counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, level-one drug felonies, and two counts of drug possession \u2013 level-four drug felonies.<\/p>\n

District Attorney Jeremy Reed said the investigation remains active. The formal court process of filing charges has not yet occurred, but Miramontes appeared Wednesday in the Montezuma County Combined Court for a status hearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks like Mr. Miramontes was advised over the weekend,\u201d County Court Judge Ian MacLaren said. \u201cAt that point in time, bond was set at $250,000 cash surety. We need to get this set for return of filing charges.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Carlos
Carlos Miramontes was arrested in connection with an alleged drug trafficking investigation led by the Montezuma-Cortez Narcotics Investigations Team. (Montezuma County Jail)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

MacLaren said that is expected to occur at 9 a.m. May 28 in front of District Court Judge William Furse.<\/p>\n

Although the alleged activity took place at the Ute Mountain Casino Hotel, Reed said the case falls under 22nd Judicial District jurisdiction because no tribal members were involved.<\/p>\n

The amount of drugs seized, according to the sheriff\u2019s office, was 61-plus pounds of crystal methamphetamine and about 56,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills. The investigative work was a collaboration between the local task force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Montrose Police Department, Montrose County Sheriff\u2019s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Colorado Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Land Management.<\/p>\n

\"The
The photo shows drugs seized during the investigation\u2019s last phase, which is the equivalent of $1.1 million of street value. \u201cWe are proud to announce the conclusion of a major undercover illicit drug importation and distribution operation on May 8, 2026,\u201d the Sheriff\u2019s Office stated in a news release Monday. (Courtesy Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Sheriff Steve Nowlin said additional investigations are active in other states.<\/p>\n

\u201cCortez is a hub,\u201d Nowlin said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been working diligently to put an end to this, but it\u2019s pretty well spread out. I know that there are multiple suspects in multiple states.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Montezuma-Cortez Narcotics Investigations Team is made up of one detective from Cortez Police Department and one from the Sheriff\u2019s Office working with support from the DEA, BIA, and Department of Justice focused on large-scale drug investigations related to sales, distribution and importation.<\/p>\n

\"Some
Some of the drugs seized last year by the Montezuma-Cortez Narcotics Investigation Team. (Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Law enforcement intelligence points to Montezuma County as being a regional hub for trafficking groups linked to organized crime of the Mexican cartels, Detective Sgt. Victor Galarza, team supervisor, said in a January report.<\/p>\n

In the report, Galarza said it is believed more than nine organizations operate across the county.<\/p>\n

The task force seized drugs worth a street value of $13.3 million last year<\/a>, according to the 2025 end-of-year report. Those seizures included more than 88 pounds of meth, 168 pounds of cocaine, 23,370 counterfeit fentanyl pills and nearly 10 ounces of fentanyl powder. The sharp increase marked a 1,874% rise in fentanyl pill confiscations since 2024.<\/p>\n

The team led Operation Wild Mustang, the county\u2019s largest narcotics investigation to date that went from October 2023 to summer of 2025.<\/p>\n

During the operation, the team identified 180 people \u201ctied to the regional drug underworld\u201d in Cortez, Montezuma County and the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. It uncovered suppliers with direct lines from Mexican cartels, which led to 15 people being charged or convicted.<\/p>\n

awatson@the-journal.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n