Drug pipeline brought ‘tens of millions of dollars’ of narcotics to North Dakota

FARGO – Federal authorities say they are investigating a drug pipeline that involves moving the powerful opioid fentanyl and other painkillers from the Detroit area to three Native American reservations in North Dakota.

U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley says the operation involves “tens of millions of dollars” of narcotics and thus far has targeted 22 defendants from Michigan and eight from North Dakota.

The group began dealing oxycontin pills in the state about five years ago and switched to fentanyl during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wrigley says organizers used “violence, threats, firearms and other means” to recruit people, including many on the Spirit Lake, Turtle Mountain and Fort Berthold reservations who joined to feed their own drug addictions.