Federal, state and tribal agencies announce Operation Black Book targeting cocaine-trafficking group tied to South Dakota
Federal, state, local and tribal law-enforcement agencies have announced Operation Black Book, a multistate investigation targeting a cocaine-trafficking organization tied to South Dakota.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota announced the operation July 21 as a takedown effort involving agencies from multiple levels of government. The announcement describes an ongoing law-enforcement action against an organization alleged to have trafficked cocaine across state lines.
The release does not identify a total number of people arrested, charged or investigated in later phases of the operation. It also does not describe any court filings, convictions, sentences or final judicial findings connected with the announcement.
First phase took place in Colorado
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the first phase of Operation Black Book occurred in Colorado on June 16, 2026.
That phase resulted in the arrests of three people whom authorities described as suppliers for the South Dakota organization. An arrest is not a finding of guilt, and the public announcement does not establish guilt for those arrested or for any other person under investigation.
Federal officials did not provide, in the announcement, a broader count of arrests or defendants connected to later phases of the operation. The release also did not state the amount of cocaine or other evidence seized, if any, or identify the scope of potential charges that could follow.
Federal, state and tribal participation
The task force identified in the announcement includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety.
The participation of the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety places state and tribal public-safety agencies alongside federal partners in the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the broader operation involved federal, state, local and tribal law-enforcement agencies.
The announcement characterized the group under investigation as a multistate cocaine-trafficking organization connected to South Dakota. Authorities did not, in the information released, say that the entire organization had been dismantled. The announced action should therefore be understood as a law-enforcement takedown operation, rather than as a final determination about the organization or any individual case.
What remains unresolved
The release provides a date and outcome for the Colorado phase but does not specify the number of South Dakota arrests, charges, defendants or seizures associated with subsequent activity. It likewise does not provide dates for any future court proceedings or announce a deadline for additional enforcement activity.
Those distinctions matter as the case develops. Investigations, arrests and charging decisions are separate stages, and any criminal allegations would have to be addressed through the court process. The July 21 announcement reports the agencies’ investigative action; it does not announce convictions or final judgments.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the announcement was part of Operation Take Back America. Further public information about additional arrests, charges, seizures or court appearances was not included in the approved release.
Sources
- Federal, State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement Conduct Operation Black Book, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota