Stearns County Designated High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area

Stearns County, through the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, has received designation as a “HIDTA” county through the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). HIDTA stands for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

The Central Minnesota region has seen an increase in trafficking of controlled substances over the years both locally and as a central distribution point for the State of Minnesota.

Stearns County is one of only 5 locations in the United States to receive the designation.

Beltrami County in Northern Minnesota was also one of the 5 selected.

The designation means that Stearns County will have access to federal intelligence analysts, federally funded training for the task force and other law enforcement officers, and federal funding options to collectively investigate and arrest those that choose to deal in controlled substances.