Seattle, WA – Three men involved in a large-scale, multi-state drug distribution operation operating in Skagit, Whatcom, Snohomish and King Counties were sentenced to long prison terms late Tuesday, January 16th, 2018 in U.S. District Court in Seattle. The investigation was named “Operation Car Wash” as some of the conspirators would meet up to conduct their deals at a Car Wash in Mount Vernon, WA.
The Leader of the drug ring, Baltazar Reyes-Garcia, 45 of Camano Island, WA, was sentenced to eighteen years in prison. Hector Contreras-Ibarra, 33, of Pasco, WA was sentenced to fifteen years in prison and Angel Serrano-Carreno, 30, of Mount Vernon, WA was sentenced to thirteen years in prison. The three men operated a drug distribution ring that brought Heroin, Methamphetamine and Cocaine into several counties across Washington State. At the sentencing hearing for Baltazar REYES-GARCIA, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said the quantities of drugs involved is “immensely alarming” and noted that REYES-GARCIA was a “major drug supplier.”
As court records and evidence admitted at trial demonstrate, law enforcement investigated the drug ring in late 2015, and early 2016, utilizing pole cameras, confidential sources, wiretaps and undercover officers to document the drug distribution activity, and identify the leaders of the ring.
In November 2016, law enforcement served search warrants on more than two dozen locations, including many in Skagit County, seizing two kilos of cocaine, more than $180,000 cash, and more than 20 firearms – including a loaded AK47. Those totals were in addition to the seizures made during the investigation which included eight kilos of methamphetamine, two kilos of cocaine, nearly a kilo of heroin, and more than $117,000 in cash.
The conspirators were accused of operating several stash houses on Camano Island and in Mount Vernon, as well as stash houses in Yakima and Franklin Counties. The organization had broad connections spanning from Mexico to Nevada, Arizona and California, and north to British Columbia. Fourteen other co-conspirators were charged in the case and pleaded guilty in the months following their arrests in November of 2016. These other defendants in the case were sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to twelve years in prison. All three defendants were convicted in October of 2017, following a ten-day jury trail.
“The kilograms of heroin, meth and cocaine that these defendants sold ultimately became hundreds and thousands of doses of poison in addicts’ hands,” said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Make no mistake – these drugs kill or otherwise destroy lives. I commend our federal, state and local law enforcement partners for working together to arrest and convict these defendants who earned their living off the misery of Western Washington residents.”
This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in conjunction with the FBI, Whatcom Gang & Drug Task Force and Skagit County Inter-Agency Drug Task Force. The investigation was supported by the Auburn Police Department, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Snohomish County Regional Drug & Gang Task Force, Mt. Vernon Police Department, Washington State Patrol, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, Everett Police Department and Seattle Police Department. Additional assistance was provided by HSI; CBP, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Vaughan and Steven Masada.
If you, or someone you know, would like information about resources for those suffering from a heroin or other substance abuse addiction, you can call the 24 hour Washington Recovery Helpline at 866-789-1511, or go to the University of Washington Alcohol and Drug Institute website. If you are between 13 and 20 years old you can also call Teen Link at 1-(866) TEEN-LINK (866-833-6546) to talk to a teen volunteer.
Awesome Job!! So thankful to pay my taxes and have results from a year long investigation like this. Goodbye LOSERS! Now, if we would only get these asses outta this country after they have served their personal time in prison. What? Ya, I say ship their losing asses out of THE USA! They can go back to their country of origin and BE MARKED! Yes sir, that should also be a final justification to there choice to aquire, sell and distribute DRUGS that others of us DO NOT WANT IN THIS COUNTRY!