A bust of three alleged drug trafficking groups that prosecutors say are responsible for smuggling more than 1,000 pounds of meth and 330,000 fentanyl pills resulted in the arrest of 19 defendants from Washington state and California.
The first indictment, in September, nabbed six defendants following a wiretap investigation of their operations. Those arrests did not deter the rest of the defendants.
Two more indictments were unsealed Tuesday, resulting in the arrests of 11 more defendants. Criminal complaints resulted in two further arrests also on Tuesday.
“These individuals were bringing large loads of meth, heroin, fentanyl and cocaine from Mexico across the border and up I-5 to the Pacific Northwest. Even when an RV loaded with drugs was pulled off the highway and seized by law enforcement, they weren’t deterred,” U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Nick Brown said in a Department of Justice press release.
Earlier sweeps netted federal and local authorities 1,016 pounds of methamphetamine, 330,000 fentanyl pills, nine kilos of fentanyl powder, 25 kilos of cocaine, 15.5 kilos of heroin, 43 firearms and more than $1 million in cash.
The amount of narcotics seized alone would have made the investigation a successful one, authorities said. The volume also means that, if convicted, some defendants will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
“Just looking at the fentanyl seized, since four out of 10 fake pills contain a lethal dose, that was enough to kill 132,000 people,” said acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division Jacob Galvan, according to the release.
Searches made Tuesday of 14 locations in Washington and California resulted in the seizure of 4.5 kilos of heroin, two kilos of fentanyl powder, 10 pounds of meth, 67 firearms, high-capacity rifle magazines, thousands of rounds of ammunition, two sets of body armor and one body shield.
At a news conference, Mr. Brown indicated that the majority of the firearms were stolen, KIRO News Radio reported.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, the following people were arrested.
The six suspects arrested on the indictment from Sept. 21 are:
• Agustin Gutierrez Valencia, 32, of Kent, Washington.
• Daniel Vazquez Arroyo, 32, of Kent, Washington.
• Rosalio Reynoso Arellano, 51, of Los Angeles.
• Ernesto Casillas, 46, of Los Angeles.
• Benigno Hernandez aka Ivan Santos Arellano, 32, of Kent, Washington.
• Jesus Toledo Pardo. 56, of SeaTac, Washington.
The 11 suspects named in the two indictments unsealed Tuesday are:
• Jose Paleo, 29, of La Mirada, California.
• Octavio Guzman, 24, of Huntington Park, California.
• Glauco Guardado Rodriguez, 25, of Seattle.
• Araceli Salas, 30, of Maywood, California.
• Maria Rangel Aguilar. 44. of Huntington Park, California.
• Miguel Thomas. 33. of Tukwila, Washington.
• Tad Fulton, 48, of Seattle, Washington.
• Ryan Holmquist, 34, of Issaquah, Washington.
• Timothy Hursh, 38, of SeaTac, Washington.
• Ryan Terry, 44, of Duval, Washington.
• Abel Cruz, 32, of Des Moines, Washington.
The two suspects arrested on criminal complaints Tuesday are Luis Valenzuela-Haro, 32, of Seattle and Michael Kinzel, 37, of Renton, Washington.
The 19 accused defendants face a bevy of charges, including “conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute,” prosecutors said in the release.
One unspecified defendant faces enhanced charges due to “carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime,” while another unspecified group of defendants faces charges of “conspiracy to commit money laundering.”
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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