Brown County Meth Bust Likely Linked To Mexican Cartels, Officials Say

The Brown County Sheriff’s Department says methamphetamine seized in a drug bust earlier this week most likely came from Mexican drug cartels.

“Quite frankly, we believe that the Mexican cartels are making an effort to flood the U.S. with methamphetamine and get that share of the drug trade,” said Brown County Drug Task Force head Lt. Kevin Kinnard at a Friday news conference. He said the street price of meth has fallen locally and that, in part, led to the investigation.

Kinnard said the number of American meth labs has gone down in recent years since Mexican drugs are cheaper and more plentiful. Authorities believe the drugs moved from Mexico to Minneapolis, then on to northeastern Wisconsin.

An investigation of the suspected drug ring began in September, but culminated March 22 when busts were made in Brown, Oconto, and Kewaunee counties. Officers arrested 38 people and seized nearly 2 pounds of meth. Marijuana and prescription drugs were also found along with smaller amounts of heroin, cocaine, and psilocybin mushrooms.

Kinnard said the three counties worked with state and federal law enforcement.

“Everything that we have information, we have from state, local, and federal partners is that most of this was sourcing out of Mexico.” He said. “There’s no secret. The (Drug Enforcement Administration) talks about there being ‘super labs.’”

Now that alleged dealers are behind bars, Kinnard said officers will turn their attention to finding local labs: “Our concern now is that because the demand is still there but not the supply, that we may see an increase in meth labs.”

The department is warning pharmacies to be on the lookout for people buying cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine.

Kinnard has served on the Brown County Drug Task Force for six years and said, “This is the most total dismemberment that we’ve ever been able to do.”

Kinnard said he has no information on whether the other drugs also came from Mexico.