The latest round of Operation Prairie Thunder resulted in 13 arrests and more than 40 drug‑related charges during a three‑day enforcement effort in Sturgis and Winner, according to data released by the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
Operation 9, conducted Dec. 17–19, focused on saturation patrols in both communities. Winner saw the bulk of activity, with 12 people taken into custody, while one person was arrested in Sturgis.
Drug enforcement made up the majority of the operation’s outcomes. Officers recorded 42 total drug charges, including 6 felonies and 36 misdemeanors. Twenty‑five individuals were found to have drug charges, and 14 people were cited and released under the state’s “promise to appear” process.
Winner accounted for 36 of the drug charges, while Sturgis recorded six.
Beyond drug offenses, officers in Winner arrested three people on misdemeanor warrants, terminated one pursuit, and located two probation absconders. No firearms or cash were seized during the operation.
Since it’s beginning in late August, Operation Prairie Thunder Patrols have resulted in 419 individuals in custody, 271 of them were related to drug charges.
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