Three Kent men are among 17 people facing federal drug charges for allegedly trafficking more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine and hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills.

Two indictments charging a total of 11 defendants were unsealed Oct. 25 following law enforcement activity in Washington and California, according to an Oct. 26 U.S. Department of Justice news release. Six additional defendants, including the three Kent men, were indicted and arrested in September.

“These individuals (part of three interconnected drug trafficking groups) were bringing large loads of meth, heroin, fentanyl and cocaine from Mexico across the border and up I-5 to the Pacific Northwest,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “Even when an RV loaded with drugs was pulled off the highway and seized by law enforcement, they weren’t deterred. The wiretap revealed various organizations continued to recruit drivers and vehicles to transport their drugs throughout our District.”

The six indicted in September included Kent residents Agustin Gutierrez Valencia, 32; Daniel Vazquez Arroyo, 32; and Benigno Hernandez aka Ivan Santos Arellano, 32.

Law enforcement agencies took Vazquez Arroyo into custody Sept. 9 after they executed a search warrant at the Kent Valley Motel, 743 Central Ave. N., according to court documents. Inside the hotel room, investigators reportedly found one kilogram of suspected narcotics, over 15 pounds of suspected narcotics, hundreds of suspected narcotics pills and approximately $147,300 in U.S. currency.

Even before the Oct. 25 search of 14 locations in Washington and California, the drug, gun and cash totals seized by law enforcement were significant: 1,016 pounds of meth; 9 kilos of fentanyl powder and 330,000 fentanyl pills; 25 kilos of cocaine; and 15.5 kilos of heroin. Law enforcement seized 43 guns and more than $1 million in cash.

“This operation would be considered a success purely by the volume of illegal drugs taken off the streets,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “When we consider a drug trafficking organization was dismantled and the number of illegal firearms recovered through our federal and local partnerships, the positive impact to the Puget Sound region will be immediately felt.”

Others indicted included six from California; two from Seattle; two from SeaTac; and one each from Tukwila, Des Moines, Duval and Issaquah. A Renton man and a Seattle man were arrested Oct. 25 on criminal complaints.

“The amount of dangerous narcotics seized during this investigation is staggering,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. “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. This investigation shows our state, local and federal partnerships are needed so we can keep our communities safe, healthy, and free from these dangerous narcotics.”

On Oct. 25, law enforcement seized more than two kilos of fentanyl, 4.5 kilos of heroin, 10 pounds of methamphetamine and 67 firearms. Also taken by law enforcement: high-capacity rifle magazines, thousands of rounds of ammunition, two sets of body armor and one ballistic shield.

The defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Because of the amount of drugs involved, many face a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison. One defendant is charged with carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, which leads to an enhanced sentence. One group of defendants is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The investigations were led by the FBI field offices in Seattle and Los Angeles, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Seattle Police Department, Customs and Border Protection, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and Homeland Security Investigations, both the LA and Seattle offices.

“Dangerous people are filling our streets with guns and drugs – and people are dying,” said Seattle Police Chief Adrian Z. Diaz. “The entire SPD, including its officers and investigators, have made getting firearms and illegal narcotics off our streets a top priority. We know this months-long investigation, arrests, and seizures will result in lives saved. With more than 350,000 fentanyl pills taken by SPD’s narcotics unit alone this year and shootings in Seattle up 29% in 2022, we thank our local and federal partners for their help in prioritizing this life-saving work.”

Federal law enforcement seized guns during part of a drug trafficking bust in Washington and California. COURTESY PHOTO, FBI