Investigative Units

The Division of Drug and Crime Control maintains nine criminal investigative units located in each of the nine troops. Investigators assigned to the criminal investigative units live and work in their troop geographical areas; however, they are assigned to the Division of Drug and Crime Control at General Headquarters in Jefferson City. The nine investigative units each have a unit supervisor and are overseen by a district lieutenant.

District 1: Lieutenant Johny Ellsworth. District 1 includes: Teams 4, 7, and 9 Narcotics; Hazardous Devices Unit (Bomb Squad); Organized Crime/Anti-Terrorism; Operation Relentless Pursuit.

District 2: Lieutenant Don Jones. District 2 includes: Troops D and G Criminal Investigative Units; Teams 2 and 6 Narcotics.

District 3: Lieutenant Scott Stoelting. District 3 includes: Troops C and E Criminal Investigative Units; Teams 1 and 5 Narcotics.

District 4: Lieutenant Darron Blankenship. District 4 includes: Troops A and H Criminal Investigative Units; Teams 3 and 8 Narcotics.

District 5 (Executive): Lieutenant Darrin Haslag.

District 5 (Administrative): Lieutenant Ethan Ahern. District 5 (Administrative) includes: Troop I Criminal Investigative Unit; Missouri Digital Forensics Center; Special Victims Unit.

The Narcotics Vice Unit is composed of seven teams consisting of twenty-seven Patrol narcotic officers and five information analyst employees. Additionally, the Patrol presently supervises five multi-jurisdictional task forces: the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force in Sikeston; the Lake Area Narcotics Enforcement Group at the Lake of the Ozarks; the Mineral Area Drug Task Force in East Central Missouri; the South Central Drug Task Force which operates out of West Plains, Missouri; and the East Central Missouri Task Force operating in Mexico, Missouri. The task force officers are members of local agencies assigned to the task forces contractually supervised by the Division of Drug and Crime Control. The division presently has 34 non-Patrol task force officers.

Division of Drug and Crime Control narcotics investigators are also assigned to three Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Task Forces, in Jefferson City, Kansas City, and Springfield, Missouri.

The Narcotics and Vice Unit is a participating agency of the National Virtual Pointer System (NVPS). The National Virtual Pointer System is a fully automated pointer information system that provides participating state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies the capability to determine if a current drug investigative suspect is under active investigation by any other participating agency. All active cases assigned a case number are entered into this system.

The Highway Patrol provides investigative and hazardous device disposal assistance upon request from law enforcement agencies. Our officers also provide instruction in Explosive Recognition, Bomb Threat, and Search Techniques to patrol recruits, basic law enforcement, and members of other agencies.

In case of a hazardous device emergency, please contact Troop F Radio at (573) 751-1000 for immediate assistance.

Hazardous Devices Unit, 1510 East Elm Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101. Phone: (573) 526-6237.

The Special Victims Unit (SVU) supports the Patrol and other law enforcement agencies in the investigation of a broad range of computer-related crimes and human trafficking.

The Special Victims Unit was formed in 2024 and is a combination of two former units of the Division of Drug and Crime Control, formerly called the Digital Forensics Investigative Unit and the Human Trafficking Unit. The SVU works closely with a number of agencies in the fight against online crime and child exploitation. The SVU also investigates instances of possible human trafficking in Missouri and provides expertise and investigative assistance on human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and child sex crime investigations to various agencies throughout Missouri.

For information on what human trafficking is, how to recognize it, and what to do if you suspect it, visit the Human Trafficking page.

Daytime calls: (573) 751-3452. Fax: (573) 526-5577.

The primary function of the Illegal Gambling Investigations Unit is to enforce illegal gambling laws enacted by our legislature. The Unit is composed of two Criminal Investigators, with one each assigned to the Criminal Investigations Units in Troops D and I. The Illegal Gambling Investigations Unit was established in June of 2019, after the state experienced a surge of illegal gambling devices being placed in establishments.

Coordinator: Sergeant Bradley Germann, (573) 301-4078.

The Organized Crime Unit of the Missouri State Highway Patrol was formed in July 1992. The Organized Crime Unit was re-designated as the Organized Crime and Anti-Terrorism Unit (OCAT) in October 2001 following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The primary function of the OCAT Unit is the development, maintenance, and implementation of intelligence information in the arrest and prosecution of organized criminal elements and extremist/terrorist groups in Missouri. The OCAT Unit works closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Forces and the Department of Homeland Security. The OCAT Unit currently consists of three sworn officers and one civilian employee.