Congresswoman Lauren Boebert Leads Effort to Secure Federal Resources to Combat Fentanyl in Montezuma County

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert led an effort to secure additional federal resources for local law enforcement in Montezuma County to combat fentanyl and other deadly drugs through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert stated, “Law enforcement experts know that the vast majority of fentanyl illegally comes across the southern border. Since Biden took office, enough fentanyl to kill every American 11 times over has been smuggled across our border. The crisis at the border has caused an explosion in deaths from the fentanyl epidemic, and it is ravaging rural Colorado. I am working to clean up this mess by standing with local law enforcement as they deal with the unprecedented jump in crime and drug trafficking. I visited the Montezuma-Cortez Drug Task Force and saw their amazing work firsthand. They are the best of the best, and they are deserving of additional federal resources through the HIDTA program. These additional resources will help the brave men and women of law enforcement in Montezuma County defend their community and save lives.”

Montezuma County Sheriff Steven D. Nowlin said, “Securing a HIDTA designation for Montezuma County is something we’ve been trying to do now for eight years. It is definitely needed since the Four Corners region is a drug pipeline for the cartels along the Mexican border. I would certainly appreciate any help from the U.S. Congress to get this done and secure more assistance for our work to combat the flow of deadly drugs into our community.”

Background:

Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is actively working to back the blue and has secured the following support for local law enforcement:

• In legislation signed into law, Congresswoman Boebert successfully secured $515 million for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program to provide critical resources for rural law enforcement.
• Congresswoman Boebert introduced legislation to designate fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction. This designation will increase interagency cooperation and allocate additional federal resources for local law enforcement partners.
• When federal bureaucracy threatened to impose excessive fees on law enforcement communications towers, Congresswoman Boebert stood up for public safety agencies and successfully got the administration to reconsider its proposed fees.

The full text of Congresswoman Boebert’s letter to the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy is available here and below:

Dear Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gupta,

As our nation confronts the increasing proliferation of drug trafficking into our communities, I write to offer for ONDCP’s consideration the potential inclusion of Montezuma County in Southwest Colorado as a designated county within the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. Even as they contend with limited budgetary resources, the Montezuma-Cortez Narcotics Investigations Team (MCNIT) has done an outstanding job of taking deadly and illicit drugs off the streets without the opportunity to engage with and benefit from the HIDTA federal grant program. These law enforcement professionals certainly deserve our thanks and support.

Mexican drug cartels have shifted their transportation routes away from interstate highways and towards secondary highways – to include U.S. Highways 160, 550, and 491 – and Montezuma County has borne the impact.  During 2021, the MCNIT seized nearly 107,000 illegally manufactured fentanyl pills, more than 14 pounds of methamphetamine, and nearly 1,000 grams of heroin. The County has seen 80 overdose cases from 2016 through 2020 and lost 45 residents to drug overdoses over the 2010-2020 period – all according to data from the Colorado Department of Health. As of December, Montezuma County was also continuing investigations into seven drug distribution cells.

While performing extraordinary work, it’s clear that our local law enforcement personnel need additional assistance to counter a worsening drug crisis. I request you provide your assurances that any HIDTA application submitted by Montezuma County will receive full and fair consideration. As ONDCP continues its important mission, please be assured that our local law enforcement personnel are willing and able to work with federal agency partners to keep our communities safe. Thank you in advance for your careful consideration of this request and I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Lauren Boebert

Member of Congress