SEATTLE — A significant enforcement action by federal and local law enforcement in Seattle culminated in the arrest of 14 individuals suspected of drug trafficking across Seattle and western Washington.
Acting United States Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced the arrests during a press conference on Monday, revealing that the suspects were named in two separate indictments stemming from a series of arrests conducted on May 29.
In this latest operation, authorities seized a staggering cache of drugs and cash, including seven kilograms of cocaine, 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and 80,000 pills of fentanyl, alongside $350,000 in cash.
Miller indicated that this marked the second wave of drug-related indictments, following the initial arrests of five individuals on January 15.
The ongoing investigations have unveiled drug trafficking rings that have targeted vulnerable populations in areas like homeless camps, the Chinatown-International District, and suburban neighborhoods across the region.
“The indictment of five defendants in January 2025 was just the first step,” Miller stated. “Now we are prosecuting fourteen additional defendants. Our law enforcement partners have remained steadfast in their pursuit of drug traffickers, ensuring that substances such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine do not infiltrate western Washington or the International District.”
Mike Herrington, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office, highlighted that many of the arrests were connected to a specific drug trafficking organization known as “The Jungle.”
In March, the operation led to the discovery of $3 million worth of drugs and 250,000 fentanyl pills.
Authorities tracked the trafficking ring throughout Washington, Oregon, and California in a concerted effort to disrupt the supply chains of these deadly narcotics.
“Detectives have been closely investigating this trafficking organization since November 2023,” stated Herrington.
“Following the arrests of five Washington-based members of this organization in January 2025, we extended our investigation beyond Washington state, where the traffickers frequently traveled to Oregon and California. We are now working to cut off these poisons at their source, thereby preventing the violence that accompanies them from reaching our communities.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s special agent in charge, David Reames, reported that law enforcement had executed 16 search warrants in various locations, including Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, and Tukwila, during this recent operation.
Reames emphasized the alarming increase in fentanyl powder as opposed to fentanyl pills in the Seattle area, raising concerns due to the potential for the powder to be blended with other drugs, resulting in lethal combinations.
“We confiscated more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, enough to potentially kill every resident in Seattle — twice,” Reames warned.
The Department of Justice has identified a number of defendants associated with these indictments. The following individuals are suspected of distributing significant quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin across western Washington:
– **Octavio Salazar Palma**, 33, of Federal Way, Washington, a U.S. citizen
– **Luis Soto Lara**, 47, of Vancouver, Washington
– **Juan Ramirez Recinos**, 41, of Burien, Washington, is currently sought by law enforcement
– **German Juarez-Otanez**, 34, of Bothell, Washington, also sought by law enforcement
– **Alexander Emilio Cozza**, 42, of Seattle
– **Marco Antonio Bobadilla**, 33, of Pacific, Washington
– **Isai Gamboa Pacheco**, 55, of Everett, Washington
The second indictment involves seven additional suspects accused of conspiring to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine:
– **Daniel Ibarra Loera**, 31, of Kent, Washington
– **Jose Garcia Corona**, 61, of Seattle
– **Leonardo Rojas Cruz**, 53, of Federal Way, Washington
– **Oscar Omar Serrano Serrano**, 31, of Algona, Washington
– **Juan Lopez Roblero**, 43, of Tukwila, Washington
– **Giovanni Antonio Garduno Garcia**, 46, of Issaquah, Washington
– **Sang Su**, 44, of Seattle, a U.S. citizen, also sought by law enforcement
Herrington noted that this operation benefited from the combined efforts of 15 agencies across three states.
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes expressed his department’s intention to persistently target illicit drug operations within the city.
“We are committed to repeating these efforts continuously until there is a clear understanding that Seattle is no longer a place where individuals can exploit vulnerable populations,” Barnes asserted.
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