In late May 2024, the Wyoming National Guard and the South Dakota National Guard Counterdrug Programs collaborated with local, state, and national law enforcement agencies to improve interagency efforts against drug trafficking in Wyoming.

Soldiers from the South Dakota National Guard conducted in-flight training sessions in Cheyenne, Rock Springs, Sheridan, and Casper. Participants included members of the Laramie, Sheridan, and Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Offices, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, Air Patrol, Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

“We conducted classroom training at the Department of Criminal Investigation before moving to in-flight training at the airport,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Aaron Oberloh, a South Dakota National Guard pilot. “The training focused on the capabilities of the South Dakota National Guard’s UH-72 Lakota helicopter.”

The training was designed to equip key personnel with the necessary skills to request missions and to provide them with a firsthand experience of the Lakota’s capabilities. This included aerial surveillance, such as the ability to identify a license plate from several miles away, a skill that could prove invaluable in the fight against drug trafficking.

“The counterdrug program offers invaluable resources. We lack dedicated air intelligence, surveillance, or reconnaissance abilities, and this training significantly enhances our law enforcement capabilities and effectiveness in combating drug supply,” said a Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation task force officer and special agent.

“We appreciate these Soldiers spending time away from their families and traveling out of state to support our mission,” the agent added. “In the Cheyenne area, we have two major transshipment corridors, I-25 and I-80. We can’t cover all the interstates all the time. Having access to aerial options is a major force multiplier.”

According to Command Sgt. Maj. Katherine Zwiefel, the Wyoming National Guard counterdrug coordinator, many agencies lack the staff, technology, or training to combat drug dealers effectively. “We aimed to demonstrate that joint capabilities between South Dakota and Wyoming can enhance interagency collaboration. My team works daily to reduce the supply of drugs in Wyoming and create safer communities across the state.”

The counterdrug program’s mission is to provide analytic support to law enforcement agencies, enabling them to focus their efforts on the streets. Analysts produce comprehensive reports, charts, graphs, and photos for use in court.

“This training was another step toward building partnerships to positively impact the places we live, work, and play,” Zwiefel said. “I want to thank all the agencies involved, especially South Dakota, for their support and partnership in enhancing capabilities in Wyoming.”