Over the last 2 years, more than 10-thousand people have died in drug related violence in Mexico.
The violence is happening more than 12-hundred miles from here in Sioux Falls but it's upsetting to Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead because part of what is happening here is leading to the violence down there.

Candlelight vigils are common in Mexico; as of late, many honor Mexican police officers and drug agents , fighting the flow of drugs from Mexico into the U-S.

"There is a connection to these drug cartels, this is where our drugs come from." Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead tells Action News, 90% of the Cocaine and 85% of the Meth in America come from Mexico, some makes it's way to Sioux Falls. "We know that the vast majority of meth and cocaine that comes into our state and our community come through at some point these very very violent drug cartels."

Milstead says most cartels recruit local street gangs to sell their drugs, which is one reason Sioux Falls Police so closely monitor gangs.
The gangs send most of the money they make, back to Mexico...to the cartels.

Milstead says sioux falls is a secondary market for drugs, the primary markets being larger cities like Minneapolis, Chicago and Kansas City.

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