SEATTLE — Local and federal authorities have dismantled one of the largest drug trafficking operations in recent Seattle history. Following a multi-state investigation, 14 individuals accused of exploiting vulnerable communities were indicted and 11 were arrested on May 29, with three suspects still at large.
The operation targeted two interconnected drug rings involved in trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin throughout Seattle’s Chinatown-International District and homeless encampments. The takedown followed a wiretap investigation, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Conzatti described as involving “multiple rounds” of surveillance.
Seven defendants charged in the first indictment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin include Octavio Salazar Palma, Luis Soto Lara, Alexander Emilio Cozza, Marco Antonio Bobadilla, Isai Gamboa Pacheco, and two others sought by law enforcement. The second indictment charges seven individuals with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, including Daniel Ibarra Loera, Jose Garcia Corona, Leonardo Rojas Cruz, Oscar Omar Serrano Serrano, Juan Lopez Roblero, Giovanni Antonio Garduno Garcia, and one suspect still sought.
The Department of Justice noted that three of those charged were unlawfully present in the U.S. and had prior removals. Authorities continue to verify the status of others involved.
David F. Reames, DEA Special Agent in Charge in Seattle, underscored the seriousness of the bust, saying, “We seized over 1.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl — enough to kill everyone in Seattle twice. Drugs and guns are evils that go together. These offenders preyed on our most vulnerable communities, dealing death in the form of drugs and guns.”
The operation also resulted in the seizure of 17 firearms and involved drug trafficking along the I-5 corridor spanning Washington, Oregon, and California. This bust follows a similar crackdown in March where over $3 million in drugs were seized.
FBI Seattle Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington stated, “We will continue to pursue drug trafficking organizations exploiting vulnerable populations and remove dangerous individuals to make Seattle and Washington State safer.”
