Joel Adrian Valencia Rosas, 28, of Lakewood, Washington, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for running a multi-state drug trafficking organization. Rosas, who used social media to glamorize the drug-dealing lifestyle, distributed cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana across the United States, including in Georgia, Ohio, and Western Washington.
Valencia Rosas was indicted in December 2023 after an extensive investigation that led to his arrest, along with several young co-conspirators aged 18 to 28. Authorities discovered nearly 52 kilograms of cocaine, more than 23 kilograms of fentanyl pills, and 131 kilograms of marijuana during the investigation. Case records indicate that Rosas had been distributing drugs since at least 2018.
The investigation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with support from national, regional, and local law enforcement agencies, uncovered that Rosas used social media platforms, initially Snapchat and later Instagram, to recruit young people into his trafficking ring. He continued posting about the drug trade through 2023 after his Snapchat account was shut down in 2022.
Rosas used these platforms not only to advertise drugs and their prices but also to create a flashy image of the drug-dealing lifestyle. He posted pictures of himself with firearms, expensive cars, and large amounts of cash, aiming to make the illegal activities appear glamorous and lucrative. However, those he recruited to transport money and drugs across state lines did not share in the profits, with Rosas keeping all the earnings.
U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman commented that Rosas’s use of social media played a central role in the operation, stating, “He portrayed the drug trafficking lifestyle as glamorous and profitable, but the reality was that those involved never received a fair share of the spoils.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Marci Ellsworth emphasized that the young recruits were only used to move money and drugs without compensation.
Valencia Rosas’s sentencing highlights the growing concern over the use of social media to facilitate and promote illegal activities, particularly in the realm of drug trafficking.
