Montana is facing a transnational threat. According to Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen international criminal organizations are targeting Montana.
“We know that two drug cartels in particular have targeted our state. These are Mexican drug cartels; they are the primary drivers of 100 percent of the illicit drugs coming into our state. Whether that is fentanyl, whether it’s methamphetamine. That’s the source of this problem.” -Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen
The Attorney General continues to name the cartels and explain the new ways in which drug dealers operate.
“Primarily it’s the Sinaloa Cartel, which is the one people have heard of and the second one, not to the extent of the Sinaloa, but certainly here I believe the name in New Generation Jalisco. Those are the two primary that are targeting Montana. One of the interesting trends that we’ve seen here just in the last year, year and a half is number one buying in bulk, but number two they have really cut out the middleman. Used to be your local drug dealer was dealing with two or three different middlemen down the chain before it got to the drug cartel. That is becoming increasingly rare. We’re seeing more and more cases where your local drug dealer, drug trafficker is making direct contact with somebody in Mexico affiliated with the cartel and making the deal that way.”-Attorney General Knudsen
