Fentanyl seizure numbers continue to surge in Montana

HELENA, Mont. (KUMV) – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said the state continues to see more and more fentanyl seized by federal and state agents.

In a release this week, he said the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) task forces seized a total of 163,184 dosage units in the first quarter of 2024.

That’s a more than 150 percent increase compared to the 65,142 units seized in the first quarter of 2023.

“I think it’s a good thing we’re taking more fentanyl off the highways but I think it’s a function of two things. Number one: It’s what the cartels are pushing. Number two: They are pushing larger and larger volumes into our state,” said Knudsen.

Knudsen said the increased influx continues to come from the southern border up north due to the drug’s profitability.

“We know where these drugs are coming from. They are coming from Mexico. They are coming from superlabs. They are coming from a handful of large Mexican drug cartels who are targeting our rural communities because they can make a lot of money up here. Fentanyl is worth a lot of money in Montana and North Dakota than it is in Mexico or even in Texas or Arizona,” said Knudsen.

A total of 398 thousand dosage units were seized by the RMHIDTA last year.

Knudsen said they continue to train more agents and have increased the penalties for individuals found guilty of selling fentanyl in Montana in order to combat the influx.

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