According to Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters, officers from the Mat-Su Narcotics team had been investigating Montano and had enough information to secure a search warrant for his apartment off Heritage Court.

“The Mat-Su unit was assisted by the Anchorage Police Department, Drug Enforcement Agency officers and the Alaska National Guard's Counterdrug Support Program in executing the search warrant on the morning of Feb. 29,” she said March 6. “Upon executing the warrant, officers came in contact with Montano, age 49, and found evidence of meth manufacturing, meth listed chemicals and components commonly used in the meth production process in the apartment.”

In addition, the warrant also revealed residual amounts of cocaine and meth in the apartment, along with various types of drug paraphernalia.

Montano was arrested for several counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance, including the manufacturing of methamphetamine, possession of chemicals intended to make methamphetamine, possession of a controlled narcotic and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

He was taken into custody and has been at the Anchorage jail awaiting an indictment, which is scheduled for Tuesday.

According to Peters, the Mat-Su Drug Enforcement Team is comprised of one AST sergeant, two AST investigators, one Palmer Police Department officer, one Wasilla Police Department officer and members of the Army National Guard Counterdrug Support Program.

“The unit focuses on drug investigations within the Matanuska-Susitna region,” she said. “But often they work closely with the APD on investigations that overlap and reach into Anchorage. They were involved with this investigation because they were the closest of the troopers drug teams to Anchorage.”

Peters added, that the team's primary enforcement duties have shifted in recent years from investigating marijuana cultivation to the investigation of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories.

Montano is being held on a $30,000 bond as he awaits his indictment.

Reach the reporter at darrell.breese@alaskastar.com.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, March 13, 2008.