Department Of Homeland Security Investigates Suspected Drug Smuggling Operation at Boulder Municipal Airport

Boulder, Colorado is home to Boulder Municipal Airport which was the site of a raid Monday afternoon conducted by DHS and Boulder County Sherriff.

DHS is investigating a suspected drug smuggling operation at the Boulder Municipal Airport. It may be coincidental that the Boulder Municipal Airport does not have a control tower.

On Monday afternoon Homeland Security Investigations division and the Boulder County Drug Task Force entered and searched Hangar 3355 where they found at least four airplanes and five vehicles inside. The hanger is located on the southeast side of the airport. Sheriff's Cmdr. Rick Brough said the department provided K-9 assistance, a German Shepard named Titan trained in patrol work and narcotics detection. Kim Stewart, a Boulder police detective commander, said officers arrested an adult male on Saturday evening in connection with the federal drug investigation. While she declined to release the man's name jail records show only one arrest by the Boulder County Drug Task Force on Saturday. Carl Steven Gruber, 45, was arrested Saturday night by the task force, he was booked on suspicion of possessing 5 to 100 pounds of marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Bond was set at $25,000. Federal Aviation Administration records show Gruber is a licensed pilot.

Kim Kobel, a police spokeswoman, said "This is a Homeland Security case and we have been asked not to discuss it."

Stanley Marks, a Denver defense attorney who specializes in state and federal cases involving drug trafficking, interstate trafficking and smuggling, said "if I had to guess, this is small part of something large."