In two unrelated cases, two people pleaded guilty to methamphetamine trafficking on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release Dec. 4.

Trisha Herrera, 40, of Ignacio and Rita Clark, 31, of Arboles each face up to 40 years in prison for the crimes. Herrera is scheduled to be sentenced in U.S. District Court in February; Clark in April.

“The Southern Ute Police Department will not tolerate the continued destruction of lives caused by these unscrupulous drug dealers,” said Southern Ute Police Chief Raymond Coriz in the news release. “We will continue to aggressively investigate low to high level drug traffickers anywhere within the boundaries of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation and beyond.”

In March 2020, Herrera arranged four drug deals on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, exchanging 38 grams of narcotics for $1,130 in cash.

In an unrelated case in July, Clark delivered about 56 grams of narcotics to a person on the Southern Ute reservation in exchange for $1,200 in cash.

These cases were cooperatively investigated by the Southern Ute Police Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement.

The investigations were aided by a new full-time drug investigator with the Southern Ute Police Department.

“Federal prosecutors have the important responsibility to work in tandem with our tribal partners to promote public safety on tribal land,” said U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn in the news release. “These prosecutions, and the continuing effort to combat narcotics on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, show that endangering the community by profiting from dangerous narcotics does not pay.”

smullane@durangoherald.com