In a decisive blow to drug operations connected to white supremacist prison gangs in the Pacific Northwest, two key players face substantial prison sentences. As reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the U.S. District Court in Tacoma has handed down 12 and 7-year terms to Eric Smith and Sara Thompson respectively for their roles in distributing massive quantities of narcotics, including deadly fentanyl.

The two convicts were part of a larger network with ties to the Aryan Family and Omerta prison gangs. Eric Smith of Tacoma, a major player in the operation, admitted to laundering over 50 kilograms of methamphetamine, was intercepted with firearms, and pled guilty to multiple charges including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Thompson, from Bonney Lake, Washington, dealt large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl on behalf of the group. She continued her involvement in the drug trade even after partner and cell leader Yehoshua Kilp was incarcerated on state charges.

Federal law enforcement's investigation entailed a large-scale takedown on March 22, 2023, resulting in two dozen arrests and substantial seizures of illicit drugs and firearms. Instances of lethal overdoses tied to the potent opioid fentanyl spotlight the danger these rings pose to our communities. In the sentencing of Smith and Thompson, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo condemned the havoc wreaked by these substances, emphasizing the harmful impact on individuals and society at large.

Heading the operation was Jesse Bailey, scheduled for sentencing on May 16. Candace Bailey, his wife and accomplice, faces her sentencing on June 13. This case falls under the ambit of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program, which aims to dismantle top-level criminal organizations. Enforcement efforts were assisted by a coalition of local and state agencies, emphasizing the collaborative approach necessary to confront the scourge of drug trafficking.