Fentanyl

Montana Public Radio's Edward O'Brien catches up with Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale.

A years-long, undercover investigation dismantled a Butte drug trafficking organization with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. The investigation led to the conviction of 18 Montana residents.

Montana’s highest ranking Republican officials gathered Friday to talk about the fentanyl crisis in the state and their plans to address it. Their focus is on boosting law enforcement and pushing to restrict immigration.

The pandemic laid bare the gaps and disparities in the U.S. public health system, and often resulted in blowback against local officials trying to slow the coronavirus’s spread. But one positive outcome, in part fueled by a boost in federal dollars, is that health workers have started adapting lessons they learned from their COVID-19 response to other aspects of their work.

The three candidates for Montana’s new western congressional district squared off for the first time Monday in a public forum hosted in Missoula. Tensions were high between Republican Ryan Zinke and Democrat Monica Tranel.

Fentanyl has taken root in Montana and in communities across the Mountain West during the pandemic. And overdose deaths are disproportionately affecting Native Americans.

The Blackfeet Nation’s tribal council voted Thursday to remove Chairman Timothy Davis from office.

An FBI spokesperson said a search warrant was executed at Tribal Business Council Chairman Timothy Davis’ home, where eight individuals were arrested. Davis was not home and was not taken into custody.

Montana health and law enforcement officials say a sharp increase in overdoses and deaths from synthetic opioids last year isn’t showing any signs of slowing down in 2021.

Missoula Police say they are investigating an undisclosed number of drug overdoses associated with pills containing fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid.