Kaele Romero has been charged in connection with a February drug smuggling incident at the Cascade County Adult Detention Center.

Romero was charged with two felony counts of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs and a felony count of transferring illegal articles.

On Feb. 9, an inmate was found in possession of drugs after a visit from a female, identified as Romero.

Joel Hadley, a federal inmate, had 2.116 grams of methamphetamine and about 71 suboxone strips, according to court documents, and the chemical composition was confirmed by the state crime lab.

Jail visitation paused as CCSO investigates drug smuggling incident

The items had been packaged in drinking straws with the ends sealed.

A Cascade County sheriff’s deputy was called to the jail and told by a detention officer that Hadley had been acting strangely while in the visitation booth and after being returned to his cell, the detention office examined the booth, finding a previously patched hole in the glass had been reopened.

The detention officer went to Hadley’s cell and found him in possession of the drugs.

The deputy reviewed security footage of the visit and it appeared Hadley had wiped the sealant residue off and was bending toward his feet “likely hiding the straw packages” he’d received from Romero, according to court documents.

Hadley also stopped twice in the hallway, adjusting the bottom cuff of his pants, while walking from the visitation booth back to his cell, according to court documents.

Man charged for bringing drugs into jail, causing staff overdoses [2024]

In video footage from the visitor’s side, Romero could be seen repeatedly moving her hand from her lap to the glass.

The deputy reviewed jail calls made to Romero from Alejandro Romero, another federal inmate, and found that Kaele Romero had driven to Great Falls on Feb. 9, met with someone to pickup the drug containing straws.

Kaele Romero allegedly transported the straws to the jail and passed them to Hadley during visitation.

By reviewing jail calls, the deputy “discovered that Alejandro was orchestrating the delivery of the dangerous drugs through the defendant and other individuals not incarcerated in the Cascade County Detention Center,” according to court documents.

Due to the smuggling incident, Sheriff Jesse Slaughter closed public visitations for inmates in mid-February.

Slaughter told The Electric on June 24 that visitation remains closed due to the booking remodel and staffing.

After the drug transfer was discovered in February, officials told The Electric that Kaele Romero had left Great Falls and hadn’t been located.

On June 20, the deputy who investigated the drugs smuggled through the visitation booth noticed a silver Volkswagen Jetta at a gas station at the corner of 10th Avenue South and 7th Street.

Federal, local law enforcement agencies discuss fentanyl trafficking ring arrests, convictions [2024]

He knew the vehicle was associated with Kaele Romero and another deputy saw her exit the vehicle.

When the Jetta left the gas station, the deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 2000 block of 9th Street South to arrest Kaele Romero.

During an interview with deputies, she admitted to driving to Great Falls and receiving the straw packages.

Asked about providing the straw packages to Hadley, Romero said “I’m going to incriminate myself if I answer this” and didn’t wish to continue speaking with the deputy, according to court documents.

The prosecution requested a $25,000 bond, which the judge set at $20,000, according to the county jail roster.

Great Falls man sentenced for trafficking meth, fentanyl [2024]

Alejandro Romero, 37,was sentenced in January in Missoula to 19 years and seven months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

He had pleaded guilty in August 2024 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Between December and March 2024, in Missoula, Romero possessed fentanyl and meth for distribution.

One person had purchased about two pounds of meth directly from Romero, as well fentanyl pills and heroin. The person had seen Romero in his hotel room in possession of thousands of fentanyl pills, pounds of powdered fentanyl, about two pounds of heroin and 10 pounds of meth, which is the equivalent of about 36,240 doses, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Great Falls woman sentenced to 20 years on federal meth trafficking charge

Another person received about 1,000 fentanyl pills in Washington in a transaction that Romero arranged and had fronted the person $3,000 to obtain the pills.

Romero admitted to investigators that he distributed meth and fentanyl in Montana in large quantities that had been shipped from Washington, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Romero was being held in the Cascade County jail awaiting transport to a federal facility and has since been moved to a medium security prison in Victorville, Calif.

Hadley, of Florida, appeared in federal court last summer on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Woman charged for bringing drugs into county jail causing inmate overdoses [2023]

He was 22 at the time he was arraigned in August and had been trafficking drugs in Havre, according to court documents.

Hadley was scheduled to appear in court on June 30 to change his plea, but the hearing was continued for 30 days as the drugs were being reweighed, according to court documents. The offense involved more than 40 grams of fentanyl.

Hadley signed a plea agreement earlier this year, agreed to plead guilty to one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and if the court accepts the agreement, the government will move to drop the other six charges.

The charge carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison with a max of 40 years, up to a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release.