Broken taillight stop near Dillon leads to drug seizure

DILLON, Mont. — A traffic stop near Dillon on March 28 led to the arrest of two people and the recovery of suspected drugs.

According to a Facebook post from the Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office, deputies pulled over a vehicle on Interstate 15 for a broken taillight.

During the stop, deputies noticed behavior that raised concerns and decided to investigate further. Deputy Dairy deployed K9 Riker, which alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle.

Deputies detained both individuals and obtained a search warrant for the vehicle. The post said one of the individuals initially gave a false name before their identity was confirmed through law enforcement databases.

During the search, deputies found drug paraphernalia and suspected drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl and marijuana.

“Fentanyl is a potent and dangerous opioid. Even small amounts can be deadly,” the sheriff’s office said in the Facebook post.

Additional suspected drugs were found during booking at the Beaverhead County Detention Center. Both individuals were booked into the jail and face charges including possession of dangerous drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and obstruction.

The suspected substances have been sent to the Montana State Crime Lab for analysis. Officials said charges could change pending the results.

The Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office urged the public to avoid touching unknown substances and to report suspected drug activity.