CHEYENNE -- Law enforcement officials announced Thursday that 53 people have been charged in connection with methamphetamine trafficking in Wyoming, California, Washington and Mexico.
As of Thursday, 43 people had been arrested and were in custody, said U.S. Attorney Matthew Mead. Ten people facing federal charges are still at large.
Mead said the case involved the largest number of defendants in a drug investigation in Wyoming history.
"This is a historical investigation in that the people involved collectively are responsible for distributing well in excess of 100 pounds of methamphetamine," Mead said.
Law enforcement have seized 20 pounds of meth, 20 firearms and $100,000 so far during the investigation. About $85,000 in cash was dug up in a backyard in California on Wednesday, Mead said.
Mead said more people could be arrested in the case.
There does not appear to be one main leader of the drug ring, but rather several high-ranking people, Mead said.
Most of the defendants were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, among other charges.
A majority of the defendants were Wind River Indian Reservation or Riverton residents, but residents of Casper, Rawlins and Pavillion in Wyoming and of California, Washington, Denver and Mexico were also charged.
"This is not an example of somebody buying Sudafed at the drug store and converting it into methamphetamine," said Jeffrey Sweetin, special agent in charge of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration for Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.
"This is a large, highly organized conspiracy of international drug traffickers that are spread out across the United States" and Mexico, Sweetin said.
Mead said the investigation started about two years ago and "touched upon," but was not a continuation, of another investigation that resulted in the arrests of 25 people last May who were involved in a drug ring on the reservation.
That case included the arrest of a tribal judge on the reservation.
"Because of the relatively small population of the Wind River Indian Reservation, all of these things are at least connected geographically," Mead said. "Being aware of what was going on in (that) investigation has led us to some success with this investigation."
Sweetin said cooperation by tribal leaders was critical in the case.
Mead said all the defendants will be prosecuted in Wyoming.
"In our war against drug traffickers, today represents a major victory," Sweetin said.
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