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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
DOJ: Fourteen indicted, 11 arrested in Seattle-area drug trafficking case tied to CID encampments
Fourteen people were indicted and 11 arrested as part of a sweeping federal drug trafficking investigation targeting narcotics distribution in Seattle's Chinatown-International District and surrounding homeless encampments, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller at a press conference in Seattle. The indictments, announced in late May and followed by coordinated arrests last week, stem from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration. Officials say the defendants trafficked large quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl from California into Western Washington. 'This trafficking group was a major supplier of deadly drugs to the International District and other communities throughout the Seattle area,' said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. 'The fentanyl powder and pills our team seized in this case could have yielded enough lethal doses to kill everyone in Seattle twice.' The 14 individuals are charged in two separate indictments. Seven are accused of conspiring to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, while the other seven face charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. Octavio Salazar Palma, 33, of Federal Way, WA Luis Soto Lara, 47, of Vancouver, WA Juan Ramirez Recinos, 41, of Burien, WA (fugitive) German Juarez-Otanez, 34, of Bothell, WA (fugitive) Alexander Emilio Cozza, 42, of Seattle Marco Antonio Bobadilla, 33, of Pacific, WA Isai Gamboa Pacheco, 55, of Everett, WA Daniel Ibarra Loera, 31, of Kent, WA Jose Garcia Corona, 61, of Seattle Leonardo Rojas Cruz, 53, of Federal Way, WA Oscar Omar Serrano Serrano, 31, of Algona, WA Juan Lopez Roblero, 43, of Tukwila, WA Giovanni Antonio Garduno Garcia, 46, of Issaquah, WA Sang Su, 44, of Seattle (U.S. citizen, fugitive) Investigators executed 16 search warrants on May 29 across Washington, Oregon, and California, including locations in Federal Way, Everett, Issaquah, Kent, and Seattle. Authorities seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, 57,000 fentanyl pills, 17 firearms, and $353,000 in cash. Seattle Police Chief Shon F. Barnes said the group 'preyed on the homeless and drug addicted' and 'terrorized people living and working in the Chinatown-International District and South Seattle.' He praised the coordinated work of detectives and federal agencies. The case builds on previous charges filed in January 2025, when five Washington-based individuals connected to the same trafficking operation were indicted. Since then, law enforcement expanded its efforts beyond Washington, tracking the drug supply chain to sources in Oregon and Southern California. In March 2025 alone, the investigation led to the seizure of 100 pounds of meth, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin—an estimated street value of nearly $3 million. The suspects face a range of federal charges that, in some cases, carry mandatory minimum prison sentences of 10 years. Officials are still working to determine the citizenship status of several defendants. 'This investigation draws from the resilience of our communities,' said Acting Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke of IRS-Criminal Investigation in Seattle. 'Illegal drug trafficking devastates lives and affects us all.' The investigation involved multiple agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program, Oregon State Police, and the Clark County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne are prosecuting the case. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Yahoo
Sinaloa cartel accused of flooding Oregon with fentanyl
(NewsNation) — The Drug Enforcement Administration announced a sizable drug bust in the Pacific Northwest this week, resulting in the arrest of 46 Honduran nationals. The DEA says some of the arrested individuals were as young as 14 and 15 years of age, working for the Sinaloa cartel. According to authorities, Honduran drug traffickers allegedly flooded the Portland, Oregon, community with fentanyl and other drugs. DEA Special Agent in Charge of the Seattle Field Division David F. Reames says that drug traffickers are exploiting children by using them to sell drugs in Portland, Seattle and other cities in the Pacific Northwest. The funeral of Pope Francis: How to watch, what to expect In addition to the arrests, 2,507 fentanyl pills, 44 pounds of fentanyl powder, 20 firearms, more than $200,000 in cash, 22 pounds of methamphetamine, 9 pounds of cocaine, and 2 pounds of heroin were seized. 'The fentanyl seized by our team in this case could have yielded over 1.5 million lethal doses – enough to kill everyone in Portland twice,' Reames said. 'I am proud that DEA could help our partners bring this surge to a successful conclusion, saving lives here in Portland and throughout Oregon,' he added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
American Military News
24-04-2025
- American Military News
Pics: Major drug trafficking bust leads to 46 arrests
The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division announced on Tuesday that 46 Honduran nationals linked to the Sinaloa Cartel were arrested for drug trafficking in a series of 'drug enforcement missions' in Portland, Oregon, over the last few months. In a Tuesday press release, the Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division announced 'a multi-agency fentanyl enforcement operation resulting in dozens of arrests, and the seizure of drugs, firearms, and cash in Portland, Oregon.' 'Honduran drug traffickers working for the Sinaloa Cartel infiltrated Portland flooding the area with deadly fentanyl and other drugs,' the press release stated. 'The focus of this investigation was to interrupt the open -air drug market in Multnomah County.' The Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division noted in the press release that 46 drug traffickers were arrested in the recent multi-agency operation. According to The Post Millennial, while the Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division described the arrested drug traffickers as 'Honduran nationals,' federal law enforcement sources told the outlet that the drug traffickers are likely illegal immigrants. READ MORE: Drone strikes on Mexican drug cartels considered by Trump admin: Report In addition to the 46 arrests, the Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division said law enforcement officials seized $204,007 in cash, 20 firearms, 2,507 fentanyl pills, 44 pounds of fentanyl powder, 22 pounds of methamphetamine, nine pounds of cocaine, and two pounds of heroin. Pictures of some of the items seized in the recent drug enforcement operation were shared on X, formerly Twitter, by the Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Division. The Drug Enforcement Administration explained that a dose of just two milligrams of fentanyl is considered to be deadly and that almost 70% of drug poisonings and overdose deaths involve fentanyl. 'The fentanyl seized by our team in this case could have yielded over 1.5 million lethal doses – enough to kill everyone in Portland twice,' David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division, said. 'I am proud that DEA could help our partners bring this surge to a successful conclusion, saving lives here in Portland and throughout Oregon.' In Tuesday's press release, Portland Police Chief Bob Day emphasized that fentanyl 'has no place' in the city of Portland. 'Our partnership with local, state, and federal agencies makes our collective response stronger,' Day stated. 'This operation was a success, but it is only one step in a larger, sustained effort to keep Portland safe.'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Police seize enough fentanyl ‘to kill everyone in Portland twice,' arrest 46 in multi-agency trafficking crackdown
PORTLAND, Ore. () — A series of drug trafficking missions conducted in the Portland area earlier this year and involving multiple law enforcement agencies yielded 46 arrests and dozens of pounds of illicit drugs seized, authorities said. The missions focused on fentanyl trafficking and were conducted in the month of February. The multi-agency effort involved law enforcement entities on the local, state and federal levels. The crackdown is in response to fentanyl flooding into the Pacific Northwest from the Honduran-based Sinaloa Cartel, according to the Portland Police Bureau. AMR just short of county's compliance standards There was also $204,007 in cash seized, as well as 20 guns, 44 pounds of fentanyl powder and 2,507 fentanyl pills. The illicit drugs seized during the operation — which also included 22 pounds of methamphetamine, nine pounds of cocaine and two pounds of heroin — was located in part thanks to the use of a K9 police dog. 'Fentanyl has no place in our city. Our partnership with local, state, and federal agencies makes our collective response stronger,' Portland Police Chief Bob Day said in a statement. 'This operation was a success, but it is only one step in a larger, sustained effort to keep Portland safe.' David F. Reames, a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency Seattle Field Division, said the amount of fentanyl seized by his team and the other participating agencies could have yielded over 1.5 million lethal doses or 'enough to kill everyone in Portland twice.' 'Nearly all of those arrested selling drugs were illegally present in the United States,' Reames said. 'These same traffickers had been exploiting children by using them to sell dangerous drugs. The case today highlights our collective success in bringing some accountability to the criminals who sell poison on our streets.' In addition to the PPB and the DEA, other agencies involved in the recent fentanyl trafficking missions included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office. Also assisting in the operation was a special team as part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, whose participating agencies include the Oregon State Police and Homeland Security Investigations, among others. PPB Chief Bob Day said collaboration is essential when the challenge of fighting the drug crisis is this big. 'It makes me proud when I can see us come together across jurisdiction, across federal and state and county boundaries, and find a way to be successful to enhance the safety and security for all Portlanders,' he said. 'And that's what these results demonstrate.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
