Roberts County deputy makes large fentanyl seizure in South Dakota
More than 16 pounds of fentanyl and fentanyl laced pills were seized following a traffic stop in Roberts County.
According to news release from the Roberts County Sheriff's Office, the Nov. 26 traffic stop was made by a Roberts County Deputy who was working alongside a Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal Police Officer. That stop led to the seizure of 16.462 pounds of fentanyl and fentanyl laced pills, according to the release. The seizure included 3.4 pounds of fentanyl powder and about 53,000 counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl.
According to the release, the estimated cost of these drugs exceeds $2 million in street value. Two people were arrested, but their identities have not been released as the case is an ongoing federal investigation. The case has also been turned over to the U.S. Attorney's Office for prosecution.
According to DEA statistics this amount of Fentanyl would have the potential to kill more than 3.69 million people, which is more than four times the population of South Dakota.
"This is an unprecedented seizure of illegal drugs by a Roberts County Deputy and Tribal Officer working in concert with each other," Roberts County Sheriff Tyler Appel said in the news release. "It's an incredible win for law enforcement. As historic as this seizure is, it is also a reminder our job as law enforcement is needed now more than ever for the safety of our communities, our citizens, and the incredible state of South Dakota. Illegal drugs continue to spill into South Dakota’s largest cities and make their way all the way down to our rural communities as drug dealers prey on our most vulnerable."
Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead, who also serves as South Dakota Chair of the Drug Enforcement Committee for the National Sheriffs' Association, told the Argus Leader the seizure appears to be a record for the state.
"This is a wakeup call for how much dangerous substances are out there in our state and getting into the hands of people struggling with drugs," said Milstead.
Some of the drug cartels in Mexico will target Indian country, said Milstead. While this is an example of the presence of fentanyl in South Dakota, Milstead said he was impressed by the partnership between Roberts County and the tribal partners to work on the case.
Sioux Falls reporter Nicole Ki contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Unprecedented fentanyl seizure made during Roberts County traffic stop
