BELCOURT, N.D.--Eighteen people were arrested Tuesday as part of Operation Northern Lights at the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation.
Tribal lands "are often viewed as a safe haven by individuals" wanted on federal, state or local warrants because state authorities can only arrest non-enrolled members on a reservation, and not all tribal governments have extradition laws in place.
This is the second operation the U.S. Marshals Service's High Plains Fugitive Task Force and the Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted to "(improve) public safety within Indian Country," a news release states. The first resulted in 22 arrests at Spirit Lake Indian Reservation on Dec. 9.
Among the 18 arrested in the 10-hour operation were Terrell Laducer, 33, wanted on drug distribution and money laundering charges and Jair de Jesus Carillo Guardado, 29, who is from Mexico but has a resident alien status, on five felony drug and weapons warrants from Ward County.
One arrest turned into a standoff as officers tried to nab Robert Peltier Sr., 51, who was hiding in a back room. His son, Robert Peltier Jr., 25, was arrested on felony warrants for aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and a simple assault.
