A Bozeman resident, Rene Montenegro-Virrey, has been sentenced to ten years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for drug-related offenses. According to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, Montenegro-Virrey, 51, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to possession with an intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen oversaw the proceedings. As stated in court documents, drug investigators discovered in August 2022 that Montenegro-Virrey planned to travel to Bozeman to deliver a significant amount of illegal drugs, including 7,000 fentanyl pills and five pounds of methamphetamine. The authorities indicted Montenegro-Virrey following a series of undercover and controlled drug purchases. In August 2024, four pounds of methamphetamine were confiscated from his vehicle during an undercover operation.
The case, prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office, was investigated by the Missouri River Drug Task Force. This effort is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a collaborative program aimed at reducing violent crime and enhancing community safety through strategic partnerships at various law enforcement levels.
The Department of Justice outlined a violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, to strengthen PSN. The strategy emphasizes building community trust, supporting preventive community organizations, setting strategic law enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes. For more details on Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit the Department of Justice's website.
