BILLINGS, MT – Daniel Jiminez-Chavez, 40, of Okanogan, Washington, is headed to federal prison for seven years after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine on the Crow Indian Reservation. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters handed down the sentence today, followed by five years of supervised release, in a case that exposed a large-scale drug operation plaguing Montana’s tribal lands.
Jiminez-Chavez, a Mexican citizen known on the streets as “Raton,” wasn’t a local. He arrived in Lodge Grass, on the Crow Reservation, in February 2023 with a singular purpose: to distribute meth and oversee a key outpost in a network supplying both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations. Court documents reveal he had no other ties to Montana, simply a directive from higher-ups to manage a property and push product.
The operation, centered around properties including one dubbed “Spear Siding,” had been running since January 2022. Federal and tribal law enforcement had been building a case against approximately two dozen individuals involved, and Jiminez-Chavez quickly emerged as a significant player. He set up shop at a residence known as the Bloodman house, near Spear Siding, and within two months, he’d moved a staggering 4.5 kilograms – nearly 10 pounds – of methamphetamine.
That amount translates to roughly 36,240 individual doses hitting the streets, fueling addiction and likely contributing to other crimes within the community. Jiminez-Chavez didn’t work alone. He relied on a translator to facilitate deals with at least six other individuals also implicated in the conspiracy. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Jesse Laslovich, successfully prosecuted the case, backed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration, and FBI.
This bust is part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaborative law enforcement and community engagement. The current PSN strategy emphasizes building trust with communities, supporting violence prevention programs, and focusing enforcement efforts on the most pressing threats.
While Jiminez-Chavez is behind bars, the investigation remains ongoing. Authorities haven’t ruled out further arrests or charges as they dismantle the remaining layers of this drug trafficking organization. The Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations, like many rural and tribal communities, continue to grapple with the devastating impact of methamphetamine and other illicit drugs, making cases like this critical to public safety.
Related Federal Cases
- Fentanyl Kingpin Conner Gets 5 Years for Poisoning Montana Streets · Washington
- Meth Translator Gets 3 Years for Crow Reservation Trafficking · Washington
- ‘Mama’ Toelle Gets 17 Years for Drug Empire · Washington
- Buchholz Sentenced for Meth Distribution, Gun Use · New York
- Washington Drug Kingpin Sentenced to Four Years in Missoula Fentanyl Case · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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