Webster County Participates in Drug Bust

The Grand Island Police Department and Hall County Sheriff’s Department were among 29 law enforcement agencies that worked on one of the largest drug busts in Nebraska history.


Deborah R. Gilg, U.S. attorney for Nebraska, announced on Tuesday that 63 individuals have been indicted as part of a yearlong Department of Justice investigation into a methamphetamine conspiracy in central and western Nebraska and northeastern Colorado.


Gilg and other law enforcement officials will announce details of the operation on Friday morning in North Platte.
The individuals received federal indictments for distribution of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
As part of the operation, the Grand Island Police Department’s tactical response team helped serve a warrant at a Grand Island residence on Tuesday morning, police Capt. Dean Elliott said.
At least one of the 63 people indicted is a Grand Island resident, Elliott said.
The Grand Island Police Department is part of the Central Nebraska Tri-Cities Drug and Safe Streets Task Force, which was involved in the joint operation.
The operation, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, also included investigators from the Cooperative Operation for Drug Enforcement Drug Task Force and the Western Nebraska Intelligence and Narcotics Group, as well as Colorado law enforcement authorities.
“This is an incredible effort involving nearly 30 law enforcement agencies,” Gilg said in a news release. “The coordination and cooperation in this investigation is a tremendous tribute to the selfless dedication we see time and time again with our law enforcement agencies.
“Two years ago, we were gathered in North Platte to honor many of these same law enforcement officers who were being recognized with an award from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area,” Gilg added. “That HIDTA award, from a case which began in 2012, ironically spun off into this drug conspiracy involving this operation.”
Nebraska law enforcement agencies involved in the operation and investigation also included the Central City Police Department and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Other entities taking part were the Alliance Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department, Cheyenne County Sheriff’s Department, Cozad Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Department, Deuel County Sheriff’s Department, Gering Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Kearney Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, North Platte Police Department, Ogallala Police Department, Perkins County Sheriff’s Department, Red Willow County Sheriff’s Department, Scottsbluff Police Department, Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Department, Sidney Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and Webster County Sheriff’s Department.
Colorado law enforcement agencies involved were the Denver office of the FBI, the Holyoke Police Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department and the U.S. attorney’s office for the District of Colorado.