Part 6/10:
Challenges in Law Enforcement and Sovereignty
Montana's reservation lands pose unique challenges for law enforcement. Due to sovereignty issues, state and local agencies lack legal jurisdiction without specific federal authorization—such as Title 21 protections or FBI/HSI task force agreements—to operate fully on reservations. The limited number of federal agents and investigative resources in Montana hampers the ability to conduct comprehensive interdictions, often leaving officers two steps behind the highly adaptive cartels.