A 36-year-old Kent man was among 11 people indicted by a Western District of Washington grand jury in Seattle for a multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy.
“This drug trafficking group continued to bring large loads of drugs up to Western Washington even after law enforcement seized nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine from one carload,” said U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran in a Dec. 16 U.S. Department of Justice news release. “This investigation uncovered threats of violence and retaliation which made it critical that law enforcement move now on this drug ring.”
Omar Vazquez-Limon, of Kent, was among those indicted for reportedly trafficking heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. Another one of those indicted is a Snohomish County rap artist, who discusses his drug trafficking activity in a documentary video. All of those in custody will appear in U.S. District Court in Western Washington.
“Overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl and methamphetamine continue to rise at an alarming rate in the Puget Sound region,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino. “It is critically essential that we continue to focus our efforts against these violent criminal organizations most responsible for injecting these dangerous drugs into our communities.”
According to the indictment, the conspirators distributed large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine, smuggling the drugs into the U.S. from Mexico and then transporting them up the West Coast for distribution in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties. Two of the defendants were also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering for their activities with the drug proceeds.
Others indicted are from Arlington, Lake Stevens, Everett, Bothell, Snohomish, Gold Bar, Tacoma and Chino and Ontario, California.
Since the wiretap investigation began, law enforcement has seized large amounts of drugs including a 49-pound load of methamphetamine that was coming to Washington from California. On Dec. 16 alone law enforcement seized 18 pounds of heroin, 25 pounds of methamphetamine, as many as 15,000 fentanyl pills, more than $150,000 in cash drug proceeds and 23 firearms.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Tacoma Residence Office in partnership with numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Kent Police Department.
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