Colorado connected to fentanyl, meth drug ring bust spanning two states
After 15 months of undercover investigations, the sheriff's office in Laramie County shut down a major drug ring that involved two states: Colorado and Wyoming. The criminals were moving fentanyl and other drugs from Mexico through Colorado along I-25 to Wyoming.
The operation was called "Shattered Glass" which comes from the investigation's origins when a deputy noticed a jail door cracked open and on the other side, a glass block had been shattered to get contraband into the Laramie Jail.
A total of 32 people were arrested with 12 of them considered high-level dealers. More than 16,000 fentanyl pills were seized during the operation, along with meth, heroin and cocaine.
"The supply was coming from Mexico, through Colorado into Wyoming. Yes, I-25 makes that easy to happen. I-80 also makes it easy. There are a lot of drugs being transported on those interstates," said Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak.
The sheriff said he doesn't know who decided to design the jail with glass walls but plans on asking voters to increase their taxes to pay for a new design.
Several law enforcement agencies were involved in Operation Shattered Glass, including: Cheyenne Police Department Community Action Team, Cheyenne Police Department Patrol Division, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations Southeast and Southwest Enforcement Teams, Wyoming Highway Patrol, Laramie County Sheriff's Office Patrol Division, Colorado and Wyoming Drug Enforcement Administration, Colorado North Metro Drug Task Force, Northern Colorado Drug Task Force, Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, Thornton Police Department, Larimer County Sheriff's Office, Department of Homeland Security, Laramie County District Attorney's Office, District of Wyoming United States Attorney's Office, District of Colorado United States Attorney's Office.