Fourteen people have been charged with running two major drug operations in Seattle, with eleven suspects currently in custody. The investigation involved undercover work and coordination between states to stop traffickers distributing cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine from California to Washington. The drug operations took place in Seattle’s International District and homeless encampments. The case expanded from five indictments in January 2025 to include fourteen more defendants after continued law enforcement efforts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The alleged defendants range in age and come from locations including Federal Way, Vancouver, Washington, and Southern California, with some still wanted by law enforcement. In March 2025, nearly $3 million worth of illicit narcotics were seized, with more seizures occurring alongside recent arrests. Since the first arrests in January 2025, FBI Seattle teams have followed leads into Oregon and California to identify and stop drug supply sources affecting Seattle, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The recent operation against drug trafficking involved the FBI, Seattle Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other agencies. The arrests and seizures are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation targeting drug trafficking networks in the United States. The defendants face serious charges but are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
