PENNINGTON COUNTY, S.D. – Pennington County authorities say they’re seeing a rise in fentanyl powder across western South Dakota following one of the region’s largest busts to date.
Ezra Bald Eagle, 26, and Mariah Cross, 25, both of Rapid City, face multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after a traffic stop in Pennington County led to the discovery of large quantities of illegal drugs.
The Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET) says it seized 3.3 ounces of fentanyl powder, 3,500 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, three-quarters of a pound of methamphetamine, and one ounce of marijuana. Officials say the fentanyl powder seizure is among the largest ever recorded in western South Dakota.
UNET, a multi-agency task force led by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, includes members of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Highway Patrol and other agencies. Investigators say the bust is part of an ongoing effort to combat illegal drug trafficking in the region.
