United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SEATTLE, WA – The DEA Seattle Field Division partnered with FBI Seattle, ATF Seattle Field Division, the Seattle Police Department, and the King County Sheriff's Office for Operation Red Card.  Through this multi-agency coordinated effort from May until July 2026, the Sound Regional Violent Crime Task Force has identified, located, and arrested some of the area’s most violent repeat offenders to support public safety in the Seattle metro area during the World Cup. Seventeen subjects were arreated without incident, two fugitives were returned to other states, and 12 firearms were seized.

Participating agencies include:

• FBI Seattle
• Seattle Police Department
• King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
• King County Sheriff’s Office
• ATF Seattle Field Division
• DEA Seattle Field Division
• U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington
• U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service
• U.S. Marshals Service
• Washington State Department of Corrections
• Washington State Patrol

Over the course of this initiative, temporary duty personnel were deployed to FBI Seattle, in addition to using existing Washington state-based law enforcement resources to serve warrants across partner agencies, arrest individuals wanted for serious crimes and identify additional evidence to support successful prosecution. 

The 17 defendants who were arrested as part of Operation Red Card: 

• Isaiah Allen
• Jeremiah Amaya
• Zhane Davis
• Kaylyn Earl
• Jesse Gonzalez-Altamirano
• Deonavan Henry
• Jeremiah Lard
• Faarah Mohamed
• Cody Nethers
• Michael Reese Sr.
• Saroem Reun
• Charles Vasser
• Donald K. Voss Jr.
• Lorenz Washington
• Amari Watkins
• Steven S. Waxon
• Joel K. Webster

Refer to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for more information. Charging documents contain only allegations of criminal misconduct, and defendants are presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

“Violent crime and drug trafficking go hand in hand. The criminal networks flooding our communities with fentanyl are also driving violence, fueling illegal firearms trafficking, and endangering public safety,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The DEA Seattle Field Division surged fentanyl enforcement alongside Operation Red Card to target the organizations behind both violence and deadly drugs. Through DEA’s Fentanyl Free America, we are relentlessly disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, holding traffickers accountable, and working with our law enforcement partners to save lives.”

“To keep our communities safe during the 2026 World Cup and busy summer travel season, we worked with our law enforcement partners to identify these individuals as a high priority to locate, arrest, and get off our streets,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “In addition to local subjects, this operation even captured armed fugitives from as far away as Colorado and California. The FBI doesn’t just investigate federal cases: we are also committed to protecting public safety by collaborating on local cases through personnel, intelligence sharing, and specialized technical resources in support of law enforcement partners across the state of Washington.”

“People traveled from across the globe to visit Seattle during the FIFA World Cup games,” said Seattle Police Department Deputy Chief Andre Sayles. “Our officers, our federal colleagues, and our community partners did an incredible job working together to keep our community safe.”

“Thanks to the diligent work by our Gun Violence Reduction Unit and Crime Analysis Unit, and collaboration with our local and federal partners, we were able to assist in the arrest of 17 people and seizure of twelve firearms,” said King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall. “The countless hours spent on this operation supported our mission of taking violent criminals and their weapons off the streets. Working in cooperation with the many other agencies ensured visitors to our region had a safe and positive experience.”

“The success of this operation is a direct result of the unwavering partnership between our local, state, and federal agencies, whose shared commitment to public safety made these arrests possible,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “No one is beyond the reach of the law, and ATF will continue to use every resource available to bring violent offenders to justice.”

“So far we have filed a federal charge against one of the Operation Red Card defendants – he is a repeat offender who had a warrant for escape and was arrested with a Glock firearm equipped with a switch to make the gun fire like machine gun,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Floyd. “This defendant has twice been prosecuted in state court for illegal firearms possession. It is fully appropriate that he now face federal sanctions. We continue to review these cases to assess whether there are other defendants who should be prosecuted federally.”

“The Diplomatic Security Service brings worldwide security coordination experience to major events and is proud to support 2026 FIFA World Cup security in Washington state through Operation Red Card,” said Mark Bridges, Resident Agent in Charge of the Diplomatic Security Service Seattle Resident Office. “Partnering with our local, state, and federal counterparts, and directing our combined resources toward identifying and arresting the region's most violent offenders, helps ensure Seattle residents and visitors can safely enjoy this historic event.”

“The U.S. Marshals Service is proud to have worked with, and to continue collaborating with, local, state, and federal partners to create safer communities during this historic international event,” said Donrien Stephens, acting United States Marshal for the Western District of Washington. “Keeping neighborhoods safe by removing dangerous, violent fugitives from the streets is the core mission of the USMS, and the directed enforcement during Operation Red Card helps ensure that Seattle residents and visitors can live, work, and move about without fear during the FIFA World Cup.”

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