The Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council has enacted a nightly curfew in Towaoc and surrounding reservation lands, citing violence and authorizing fines, arrests and vehicle welfare checks.
The curfew requires residents to stay home from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., except for special circumstances.
Workers traveling to or from jobs must show proof, according to a tribal notice. Penalties for breaking curfew include fines of $150 to $600, depending on the number of offenses. Multiple offenses may mean arrest, probation or, for non-Native visitors, removal from the reservation and possible federal charges.
The tribal council said the curfew is a response to ongoing violence within Towaoc and White Mesa, Utah, and was mandated Jan. 2 through a council resolution signed by Tribal Chairman Selwyn Whitestunk.
Whitestunk did not respond to requests from The Journal for comment. Likewise, Councilman Alston Turtle, when asked for a comment, referred to the chairman for a statement, saying Whitestunk serves as the spokesman for the tribe.
In the notice, the council stated its governing duty is to protect residents and visitors, and the curfew applies to the New Mexico section of Ute Mountain land.
Law enforcement agencies operating in Montezuma County reported significant drug seizures in 2025, highlighting broader community safety pressures in nearby areas.
According to an end-of-year report from Sheriff Steve Nowlin, the Montezuma and Cortez Narcotics Investigation Team seized 88 pounds of meth, 168 pounds of cocaine, more than 23,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills and 10 ounces of fentanyl powder.
During Operation Wild Mustang, the largest narcotics investigation known to date, which began in 2023 and lasted through summer 2025, 180 people were connected to the “regional drug underworld” in Cortez, Montezuma County and on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation.
Tribal officials did not cite specific incidents in the curfew resolution but pointed to ongoing violence as the basis.
The resolution is under the council’s constitutional power in Article V, which states the tribe has the right to “protect the peace, safety, morals and welfare” of the Ute Mountain Ute community.
The curfew applies except in instances of emergency, medical needs, retrieving supplies, employment or transportation of children to and from extracurricular activities, according to the notice. Emergency workers, law enforcement, security, state or federal workers on duty are also exempt.
The resolution states cars on the reservation may be stopped at any time for a welfare check, ensuring that people are not transporting alcohol or drugs.
It is unclear how long the curfew will remain in effect.
