Helena, Montana – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced that law enforcement officers seized significantly more cocaine and methamphetamine during the first quarter of 2026 than they did during the same period last year, while fentanyl seizures continued to move in the opposite direction.
Although fentanyl seizures declined slightly, state officials emphasized that the drug remains a serious threat and that anti-drug task forces continue working to stop illegal narcotics from reaching Montana communities.
“Fentanyl and other dangerous drugs continue to threaten communities, and the battle against the cartels that are bringing them into our state is far from over. Montana’s anti-drug task forces continue to aggressively target drug traffickers and adapt to changing trends,” Attorney General Knudsen said. “The Montana Department of Justice remains committed to seizing illegal drugs before they reach our communities.”
Drug seizure trends show major increases in cocaine and methamphetamine
According to data from the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) task forces, officers seized 30,179 dosage units of fentanyl during the first quarter of 2026. During the same period in 2025, authorities seized 31,506 dosage units, showing a modest decline.
While fentanyl numbers fell, seizures of other illegal drugs increased sharply.
Cocaine seizures doubled from 7 pounds during the first quarter of last year to 14 pounds during the same period this year.
Methamphetamine seizures experienced an even larger jump. Authorities seized 130 pounds during the first quarter of 2026, compared with 26 pounds one year earlier, representing a 133 percent increase.
Officials noted that these figures come from the six RMHIDTA task forces operating across Montana. The statistics include investigations conducted by agents with the Montana Department of Justice’s Narcotics Bureau and the Montana Highway Patrol Criminal Interdiction Teams, both overseen by Attorney General Knudsen. The figures do not represent every drug seizure made by law enforcement agencies statewide but are used to identify statewide trafficking trends.
Additional enforcement efforts by the Montana Highway Patrol also highlight the scale of ongoing drug interdiction work.
From Jan. 1 through July 6, highway patrol officers seized more than 70 pounds of methamphetamine, 23 pounds of marijuana, $43,557 in cash, and 35 weapons during criminal interdiction operations.
The Montana State Crime Lab also reported fatal overdoses linked to illegal drugs this year.
According to the crime lab, there have been 13 fentanyl-related fatal overdoses and 16 methamphetamine-related fatal overdoses so far in 2026. Officials explained that these numbers do not represent every overdose death across Montana because the laboratory only verifies deaths involving an autopsy.
Attorney General highlights prevention and enforcement efforts
Knudsen said combating drug trafficking and addiction remains one of the Montana Department of Justice’s highest priorities.
Earlier this year, he launched the Drug-Free Montana Tour, a statewide effort encouraging students to make healthy choices and avoid illegal drugs while educating them about the dangers of substance abuse.
The attorney general has also continued organizing Opioid Overdose Prevention Summits throughout Montana. The events bring together law enforcement officers, educators, advocates, and families who have lost loved ones to overdoses to discuss ways to reduce opioid deaths and strengthen prevention efforts.
Knudsen has also supported legislative and policy initiatives aimed at addressing drug trafficking.
During the 2025 legislative session, he backed Senate Bill 261, which allows prosecutors to charge adults with child endangerment when fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, or other dangerous drugs are found in their possession while a child is present.
Beyond Montana, Knudsen has urged federal officials to strengthen efforts against drug trafficking organizations. He sent a letter to the Trump administration asking officials to close what he described as a loophole that allowed traffickers to move fentanyl into the United States.
During the Biden administration, Knudsen repeatedly called for stronger border security measures, including designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations and classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction. He also filed multiple lawsuits challenging federal border policies, arguing they were necessary to help reduce the flow of illegal drugs entering the country.
State officials say Montana’s anti-drug task forces will continue adapting to changing trafficking patterns while focusing on keeping dangerous drugs out of neighborhoods across the state.
