Justin Whatcott, acting attorney for the United States District of Idaho, revealed Wednesday that 11 people had been convicted in a large drug trafficking conspiracy, surrounded by members of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force.
The task force tracked drugs that were sourced from Mexico and trafficked into Arizona before being sent to Idaho for distribution. According to court records, Idaho State Police (ISP) officers obtained information in early 2023 that Austin Lee was distributing substantial quantities of fentanyl in southern Idaho.
ISP detectives began looking into Lee and determining the source of these substances in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other organizations. Investigators made several controlled purchases of fentanyl and methamphetamine from Lee and other co-conspirators, including Jamie Coltrin, Jenika Johnson, Brandon Dana, Tina Morris, and Daniel Coltrin.
The investigation spanned many months and involved 10 different law enforcement agencies from Idaho to Arizona, yielding almost 48,000 fentanyl tablets and four pounds of methamphetamine.
“The success of this investigation is the direct result of cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies” Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott said. “Protecting Idahoans from dangerous drugs flowing up from the Mexico border is one of our highest law enforcement priorities, and I commend each of the agencies involved for their outstanding work achieving justice in this case.”
