Five Indicted for Drug Trafficking in “The Jungle” and Seattle’s International District
Defendants Allegedly Heard on Wiretap Plotting Drug Deals and Violence
DEA Seattle Special Agent in Charge David Reames at today's press conference in Seattle's International District.
SEATTLE – Five Seattle-area men are in custody following a grand jury indictment for their drug trafficking activity in Seattle’s homeless encampments and International District, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The men are charged federally and have made their initial appearances over the last few days.
“We are all focused on increasing community safety, especially in Seattle’s International District,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “The Seattle Police Department, the FBI, DEA, and other law enforcement partners have worked tirelessly to identify members of this drug ring who are peddling drugs in the International District and homeless encampments. They prey on the most vulnerable and with guns and threats increase the danger on our streets."
“The fentanyl powder alone seized from this group could have unleashed 1.7 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl into our community,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This group posed a major threat to our neighborhoods, and I am proud of the work of DEA and our partners in neutralizing this danger.”
“This organization took advantage of many people’s addictions, homelessness, and other vulnerabilities, often using violence or threats of violence,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Together with our partners, the FBI will continue to pursue drug trafficking organizations and remove dangerous individuals from our communities to keep Seattle and Washington state safer.”
The five men named in the indictment are:
Tommy Pham, 37, of Newcastle, Washington
Donfeuy Saephan, 54, of Seattle
Khampheth Keodara, 42, of Seattle
Sang Tran, 54, of Kent, Washington
Theodore Nation, 35, of Seattle
According to records filed in the case, the investigation began in November 2023, with the Seattle Police, FBI, and DEA focusing on a drug trafficking organization dealing fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the homeless encampments of Seattle and in drug trafficking areas of the International District at locations such as 12th and Jackson. Some of the defendants were arrested with firearms. Using a court authorized wiretap, investigators gathered evidence of the drug trafficking and made arrests and seizures over the course of the investigation. Law enforcement heard intimations of violence on the calls and worked to intervene without tipping off the targets of the investigation.
During the arrest operation over the last few days, law enforcement seized 17 firearms and 23 kilos of suspected fentanyl powder.
Five defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, Theodore Nation is charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. Pham and Tran are charged with distribution of controlled substances. Pham is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm because he has criminal history that bars him from possessing firearms
The current charges carry a mandatory minimum ten years in prison for the conspiracy and some drug counts. Possession with intent to distribute is punishable by a mandatory minimum five years in prison. Illegal possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
“We’re proud to work with our federal partners on this enforcement action. The Seattle Police Department will continue to take the necessary steps to continue ensuring our city is safe and welcoming for all,” said Seattle Police Chief Sue Rahr.
“This operation speaks to the stand against drug trafficking from all levels of law enforcement,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “We will continue doing our part to expose the profits of drug trafficking because we believe there should be no profit in crime.”
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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