Cocaine Distribution Network Impacting Pine Ridge Reservation brought down by BIA-initiated investigation

Press Release

RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services Division of Drug Enforcement today recognized the successful culmination of a multi-agency investigation targeting an alleged cocaine trafficking organization responsible for distributing narcotics throughout western South Dakota, including the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. 

The coordinated Operation Black Book enforcement operation was conducted in partnership with members of the Badlands Safe Trails Task Force, which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, United States Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota, and Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. The investigation also included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, South Dakota National Guard Counter Drug Unit, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and Rapid City Police Department. 

"This investigation demonstrates what can be accomplished when tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies work together toward a common mission,” said Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland. “This collaborative investigation demonstrates the Trump administration’s commitment to making Indian Country safer.”  

The investigation, which originated with BIA Division of Drug Enforcement agents, identified an alleged drug trafficking network responsible for transporting cocaine from the Denver metropolitan area into Rapid City and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. 

“The Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement is proud to have initiated this investigation and to have worked alongside our tribal, state, and federal partners. Together, we disrupted a drug trafficking organization that threatened the safety of tribal communities, and we remain committed to protecting Indian Country through strong partnerships and coordinated enforcement efforts," said BIA Deputy Associate Director Tom Atkinson, who oversees the Division of Drug Enforcement. 

As part of the investigation, BIA special agents initiated surveillance and enforcement activities that led to the identification of key distributors operating within Indian Country. Information developed during the investigation resulted in multiple controlled purchases, surveillance operations, vehicle tracking, and coordinated enforcement actions that ultimately identified the alleged source of supply operating in Rapid City and upstream suppliers based in Colorado. 

In June 2026, agents traveled to Colorado to execute multiple federal enforcement actions against individuals identified as supplying cocaine to the South Dakota region. 

During operations conducted June 15 and June 16, agents seized approximately two kilograms of cocaine, 17 firearms, approximately $4,000 in U.S. currency, and other evidence associated with alleged narcotics trafficking while executing federal arrest and search warrants in the Denver metropolitan area. 

The investigation continued throughout the summer, leading to additional coordinated enforcement actions on July 21-22 targeting eight individuals believed to have played significant roles in cocaine distribution in Rapid City and on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. 

According to investigators, the broader investigation has resulted in approximately: 

• 14 federal indictments 
• Approximately five kilograms of cocaine seized 
• Approximately 30 firearms seized 
• Approximately $65,000 in U.S. currency seized 
• More than 50 federal search warrants and court orders executed 

Charges contained in indictments are allegations only. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 

The investigation demonstrates the value of sustained collaboration among tribal, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify, investigate, and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating within and impacting Indian Country. 

The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services Division of Drug Enforcement remains committed to supporting tribal communities by investigating violent crime, disrupting illegal drug trafficking organizations, and strengthening public safety through collaborative partnerships. 

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