BOZEMAN — For most people, when you think of Bozeman Montana? You think snowy little ski town. You don’t typically think of crime and gangs. But on Wednesday, ICE agents reportedly arrested six alleged members of Tren De Aragua (TdA)—a Venezuelan criminal organization right here in Gallatin County.

“Our drug task force people work close with our federal partners. And for months they’ve been working with them, gathering intel and recognizing who’s who,” Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer tells me.

Watch the story here:

I met up with Sheriff Springer Friday afternoon. He told me Wednesday’s bust was made possible by the Missouri River Drug Task Force’s efforts to inform ICE.

“They were able to identify a number of gang members that were living up here in the area. At this time, ICE decided to come down and do an operation where they did administrative warrants and took them on deportation processes,” the sheriff tells me.

The suspects who were arrested are reportedly members of TdA—but how did our local drug task force figure out the who, what, when, and where?

“They have their ear to the ground all the time. They hear things, they see things,” Springer explains. “Gang members are notorious for bragging about what they are, who they are, and where they’ve been. The drug task force informants hear it and share that information."

Collecting intel over time. But just how long has the drug task force been aware of gangs such as TdA in Gallatin County?

“I would even go further than to say months. It’s for years. I mean, it is kind of the job of the drug task force,” Springer tells me.

WATCH PREVIOUS: ICE agents arrest 6 alleged members of Tren de Aragua in Bozeman, Belgrade

So why haven't these arrests been made in the past?

“ICE has been more responsive lately. Certainly, in the last month. I want to be very clear though: this is not a political issue. This is a public safety issue,” Sheriff Springer tells me.

Springer says ICE being more active has been helpful in cracking down on some of these gang members.

“It’s just been really nice recently. Knowing now that maybe we don’t have a local crime that we’re able to charge them with. But ICE was willing and able to come up here and deport them," Springer says.

Although these six gang members are off the streets?

“We have identified gang members still. We have identified cartel members. We know who they are, we know oftentimes where they live,” the sheriff says.

WATCH RELATED: DEA raid in Colorado ends in 49 arrests, including some Venezuelan gang members

Sheriff Springer tells me the drug task force monitors gang activity, trying to ensure they never get a foothold here in Gallatin County, thereby preventing gang violence. But if you’re still concerned with gang members in our community?

“It is a public safety concern that those people are here. We recognize that. We are out there fighting them every single day to make sure you can stay safe. The fact of the matter is it’s our job to stand between those people and you,” Sheriff Springer says.