TACOMA, Wash. – A 32-year-old Renton, Washington resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 13 years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking ring connected to Aryan prison gangs, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Shawn Ellis was arrested in March 2023, when...

SPOKANE, Wash. – Today United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Erubey Arciga Medrano, age 35, of Michoacan, Mexico, to 180 months in federal prison on drug trafficking charges. Judge Rice also imposed 5 years of supervised release. When he imposed the sentence, Judge Rice noted the large amount...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alberto Gonzalez Salgado, 45, of Sacramento, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to 13 years and one month in prison and ordered to forfeit $100,000 to the government for drug trafficking and firearms crimes, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith and Drug Enforcement Administration...

MIDLAND, Texas – A Mexican national unlawfully residing in Texas was sentenced Thursday to life in federal prison for his criminal actions as the leader of a drug trafficking organization tied to a Mexican cartel. According to court documents, Jose Ramon Castillo-Lopez aka “Pepo,” 30, of Namiquipa, Chihuahua, Mexico, supplied...

TACOMA, Wash. – Two members of drug trafficking organizations linked to Aryan prison gangs were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to twelve- and seven-year prison terms, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Eric Smith,54, of Tacoma, was sentenced to twelve years in prison and Sara Thompson, 39...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment this week charging three Kodiak residents with drug trafficking crimes in Alaska, including distributing fentanyl which resulted in a fatal overdose. According to court documents, between February 2022 and July 2023, Ashley Katelnikoff, 37, and Gerry Pugal, 37...

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...

Tacoma – A 66-year-old Tacoma man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 75 months in prison for his leadership role in a drug distribution ring tied to the white supremacist Aryan Family prison gang, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Ronnie Griffin is the stepfather of...

A long-term wiretap investigation resulted in the arrest of a Brooklyn man and netted over 39 kilograms (more than 85 pounds) of cocaine and fentanyl, eight loaded firearms, and approximately $420,000 cash from the defendant’s car, which was parked outside of a residential building he owns at 151 Leonard Street...

As part of an ongoing investigation into fentanyl/heroin trafficking in New York City, federal, state and local law enforcement officers recovered over 13 pounds of drug mixtures, including fentanyl, heroin, xylazine, methamphetamine, and cocaine, from inside a packaging mill. The drugs are estimated to carry a street value of over...