All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
(Frmeont County, WY) – The initial appearance hearing for Oscar Espinoza Duarte took place today, February 27, before the Honorable Judge Teresa McKee in Lander.
Duarte has been charged with distribution of methamphetamine, in relation to the arrests made on February 25 involving a suspected cartel member who was operating in the Wind River Reservation area.
The federal complaint document on file was unsealed on February 27, and revealed that Duarte had been investigated as a part of the Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force, “a joint mission between Wyoming local, state and federal agencies to investigate, interdict and disrupt Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) and other criminal enterprises on and around the Wind River Reservation.”
“During an investigation into drug trafficking activities in the District of Wyoming, including the Wind River Reservation and surrounding communities, involving both known and suspected drug traffickers and users, Task Force Agents of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation received information regarding Oscar Espinoza Duarte and his involvement in the distribution of controlled substances,” the complaint informs.
Back in October 2024, DCI Agents met with a “known and reliable Confidential Informant (CI),” who reported that they had “met a local methamphetamine source of supply.”
The CI stated that they had previously purchased various amounts of methamphetamine “directly from the source of supply.” The CI advised investigators that this source of supply told them that they obtain large quantities of methamphetamine from “a Mexican named Oscar.”
The CI went on to advise that they “met Oscar on multiple occasions through the source of supply.” The CI was also able to later positively identify Duarte from a photograph provided by agents.
During the ensuing investigation, agents learned that Duarte’s residence was located “off of Highway 26, near Kinnear.”
On February 6, 2025, agents were monitoring Duarte’s residence, when they observed him return home at approximately 11:43 AM, with another person arriving soon after. Both remained inside the home.
At approximately 12:59 PM, agents observed another subject arrive at Duarte’s residence, later identified as Collie Warren, the complaint document continues. (The complaint did not indicate if charges were filed against Collie, and his name is currently not in the online registry.)
Warren “did not appear to have anything in his hands” when entering Duarte’s residence, but he later left at approximately 1:20 PM “with a red-colored item/package in his hands.”
Agents “maintained surveillance on Warren and followed him as he drove south into
Ethete,” the complaint goes on to inform, at which point he parked his vehicle at a convenience store parking lot and entered the store.
Agents then observed Warren leave the store and get into the passenger side of a different vehicle, which soon drove away.
Law enforcement stopped the vehicle when it was determined that its plates had expired, and then “identified Warren as the person who had left (Duarte’s) residence with the red-colored item/package.”
The Agents who were observing the truck left behind at the convenience store reported that “from their position and without reaching into the pickup bed or moving anything,” they were able to see “a red Budweiser beer box,” that was “consistent with the redcolored item/package Warren possessed when he left (Duarte’s).”
Inside the box, agents observed “a clear baggie containing a crystalline substance consistent with methamphetamine.”
The box was photographed in place and seized. Agents then removed two separate baggies from inside of the box, “each containing what appeared to be approximately one pound of methamphetamine.”
The box and baggies were secured into evidence, and Agents then field-tested a portion of the suspected methamphetamine. The test yielded a “presumptive positive reaction for the presence of methamphetamine.”
The methamphetamine and baggies weighed approximately 915 grams in total, just over two pounds.
A warrant was later issued for Duarte’s arrest, and he is currently temporarily detained until his official detention hearing/preliminary examination, which has been set for March 4.
The maximum sentence for a methamphetamine distribution felony charge is 10 years to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and no less than 5 years to life of supervised release.
Yesterday’s press release from the FBI stated that “Two other individuals were also taken into custody, one of whom was in the country illegally.”
As of this writing, any charges against the other unnamed individuals have not been made public.
That release also indicated that Duarte is “an illegal immigrant with probable ties to a known transnational drug trafficking organization.” No further details were shared as to those ties in the complaint document currently on file, or of any specific charges stemming from illegal immigrant status, but may be forthcoming as investigation continues and more information is released.
County 10 will provide updates on Duarte’s case as they become available, which can be viewed here.