{"id":14033,"date":"2026-01-10T10:46:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T17:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/montezuma-cortez-narcotics-team-seizes-13-million-in-drugs-in-2025\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T03:42:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:42:43","slug":"montezuma-cortez-narcotics-team-seizes-13-million-in-drugs-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/montezuma-cortez-narcotics-team-seizes-13-million-in-drugs-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Montezuma-Cortez narcotics team seizes $13 million in drugs in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Some
Some of the drugs seized by the Montezuma-Cortez Narcotics Investigation Team in 2025. Pictured: more than 3 pounds of cocaine, more than 5 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, about $13,000 in cash and an illegally altered gun. (Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

The Montezuma-Cortez Narcotics Investigation Team (MCNIT) seized more than $13 million in illegal drugs in 2025, disrupting trafficking operations despite limited staff and budget cuts.<\/p>\n

An end-of-year report from Sheriff Steve Nowlin said MCNIT seized about 88 pounds of meth, 168 pounds of cocaine, 23,370 counterfeit fentanyl pills and nearly 10 ounces of fentanyl powder.<\/p>\n

Those amounts marked sharp increases from 2024, including a 1,874% jump in fentanyl pill seizures and a surge in cocaine. Only 2.5 grams of cocaine powder were seized in 2024, compared with 76,298 grams (168 pounds) in 2025.<\/p>\n

The two-person unit \u2014 a detective sergeant from the Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office and a detective from the Cortez Police Department \u2014 works with support from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement and Department of Justice.<\/p>\n

Operation Wild Mustang, the county\u2019s largest narcotics investigation to date, began in October 2023 and concluded in summer 2025. It targeted suppliers with direct supply lines from Mexican cartels.<\/p>\n

It led to 15 people being charged or convicted and the seizure of 14,154 grams of meth, 4,083 counterfeit fentanyl pills, 525 grams of fentanyl powder and 71,406 grams of cocaine worth more than $11 million. Authorities also recovered $13,326 and 11 firearms.<\/p>\n

\"In
In this photo, there are more than 3 pounds of meth and more than 1,000 fentanyl pills. (Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

During the operation, MCNIT identified 180 people \u201ctied to the regional drug underworld\u201d in Cortez, Montezuma County and the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. Earlier this month, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council implemented a nightly curfew, citing violent crime and public safety concerns.<\/p>\n

Cortez Police Chief Vernon Knuckles nominated the team for the Colorado Drug Investigators Association\u2019s 2025 Drug Task Force of the Year award for Operation Wild Mustang.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough strategic collaboration, determination and operational excellence, the Montezuma\/Cortez Narcotics Investigation Team has set a new standard for rural narcotics enforcement in Colorado,\u201d Knuckles said. \u201cTheir achievements have saved lives, strengthened community safety and demonstrated that size does not define impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knuckles said the seizures, while smaller than those in major cities, represent an unprecedented disruption to cartel-linked networks in rural Colorado. He noted that with only two investigators, MCNIT executed a complex, multijurisdictional case that led to federal prosecutions and dismantled high-level criminal organizations.<\/p>\n

The unit also saw personnel changes. In June, BIA Special Agent Lyle Benally, who worked with MCNIT, was promoted to chief of police in Towaoc.<\/p>\n

Detective Tom Quinnett retired in August after 30 years in law enforcement and received the Meritorious Service Award from the Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office. He was replaced by Detective Trevor Robertson of the Cortez Police Department.<\/p>\n

A DEA special agent (name redacted), who also worked with MCNIT, is scheduled to receive a Distinguished Service Award for her contributions to the county\u2019s two largest drug investigations.<\/p>\n

\"Powdered
Powdered fentanyl being weighed by the Montezuma\/Cortez Narcotics Investigation Team. (MCourtesy photo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

In his annual report presented in January 2026, team supervisor Detective Sgt. Victor Galarza said intelligence indicates Montezuma County has become a regional hub for drug trafficking groups linked to Mexican cartels. He said more than nine organizations operate in the county.<\/p>\n

The report also noted the appearance of crack cocaine, a resurgence of black tar heroin and an estimated 100 to 150 unreported fentanyl overdoses reversed on scene with naloxone (Narcan).<\/p>\n

Nowlin warned the team\u2019s future is uncertain because of budget cuts, the loss of two seasoned investigators and elimination of its criminal analyst.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgainst all odds, MCNIT remains vigilant and proactively continues to identify, infiltrate, dismantle and destroy the criminal organizations operating in Montezuma County and the city of Cortez that are trafficking and distributing these poisons into our communities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Operation Wild Mustang, a major investigation, concluded this summer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14034,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[21,168,969,28,60,29],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-14033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-cortez","tag-crime","tag-drug-trafficking","tag-headlines","tag-montezuma-county","tag-newsletter"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14033"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14033\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19292,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14033\/revisions\/19292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14033"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=14033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}