A major multi-agency drug investigation, Operation Highline Crystal Highway, has resulted in the conviction of 20 defendants for methamphetamine, firearm, and money laundering charges in GREAT FALLS, Montana.
The operation, launched in late 2013, discovered a large-scale drug and firearm trafficking organization in north central Montana and beyond, which included suppliers out of Los Angeles, California.
Law enforcement agencies from Montana and California worked together to dismantle the organization, seizing an estimated 13 pounds of meth and identifying another estimated 50 pounds involved in the drug conspiracy.
Twenty-five guns were also seized, either traded directly for meth or traded as payment for debt owed for meth. The guns included a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, a loaded .40 caliber, semi-automatic pistol, and a Desert Eagle .50 caliber pistol.
The defendants are responsible for a monetary judgment totaling approximately $2.4 million for the money gained from the methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, which includes nearly $56,000 in money laundering proceeds.
The 20th defendant, Joshua Alberto Rodriguez, 29, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced to over 22 years in prison, followed by five years supervised release, for crimes involving methamphetamine, firearm, and money laundering conspiracies.
The court also ordered that Rodriguez, along with the other defendants, was liable for approximately $2.4 million in proceeds and nearly $56,000 in money laundering proceeds.
Law enforcement discovered a large-scale drug and firearm trafficking organization in north central Montana and beyond, which included suppliers out of Los Angeles, California.
The operation resulted in the seizure of an estimated 13 pounds of meth, 25 guns, and monetary judgments against defendants totaling approximately $2.4 million.
Related Federal Cases
- Jody Dowd Wooten, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Montana 2017 · Idaho
- Ronald Andrew Smith, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Montana 2017 · Idaho
- Michael David Brumfield, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Montana 2024 · California
- Tracy Eugene Conard, Methamphetamine and Heroin Trafficking, Montana 2021 · Idaho
- Martin Anderson, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Montana 2023 · California
Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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