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An annual report from the Southwest Narcotics Drug Task Force (SNDTF), based in Dickinson, North Dakota, showed a surge in drug seizures, fentanyl-related overdoses and deaths, and methamphetamine production. The report also notes a significant increase in drug trafficking operations related to the US southern border.
Of particular concern for authorities, according to the report, is the surge in fentanyl overdoses, with 17 incidents requiring hospitalization and three fatalities. The increase in lethal fentanyl exposures can be attributed both to the rapid rise in availability region-wide and to the increased potency of the drug.
In addition to the alarming prevalence of fentanyl in the Southwest region, the report also describes a surge in non-fentanyl drug seizures, including nearly 300 grams of cocaine, more than 3,600 grams of methamphetamine, and over 36,000 grams of marijuana.
But drug seizures are not the only notable point of concern, according to the report. Illicit drug manufacturing and trafficking operations have also spiked, the study found, citing the discovery of two working methamphetamine labs, including one located in the Dickinson County area.
The Southwest Narcotics Task Force’s findings and the drug counter-operations aligned with them derive from partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement. Federal authorities, the report suggests, are playing a critical role in monitoring and curtailing illicit drug operations connected to the US southern border and Mexico.
In a presentation before the Dickinson City Commission, SNDTF representatives stressed the urgent need for cooperation between law enforcement, public health agencies, and the community to combat the worsening crisis in the region and across the United States.
