Feds, local cops make huge King County gun and drug bust

BY KIRO Radio Staff  on October 24, 2012 @ 7:09 am (Updated: 7:45 am - 10/24/12 )

meth.jpg
In this Sept. 7, 2012, photo a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration technician holds several pounds of Mexican meth confiscated. Nearly 14 pounds were confiscated in South King County. (AP Photo/Jim Salter) | Zoom
Federal agents and local police have teamed up to bust a huge South King County crime ring, netting 33 suspects, 28 guns, and more than 15 pounds of drugs.

"Operation Down in The Valley" targeted gang violence, and drug and gun sales in the Kent, Renton, and Tukwila areas.

The three month initiative, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and ICE's Homeland Security Investigation, is the second so-called "Hot Spot" effort in the past two years. It follows a successful sweep in White Center in 2011.

"Drug trafficking, and the violent crime it spawns, is not limited to our urban areas," said U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan.

Along with the guns, the operation also took nearly 14 pounds of methamphetamine off the street as well as cocaine, heroin and prescription narcotics.

"We will continue to focus on violent crime and guns and get them off the street," said U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan.

Along with the federal agencies, the operation also involved police from a number of local municipalities including Kent, Renton, The Port of Seattle, Tukwila, and Seattle.

"This has been a great partnership between the ATF and local police to combat upper level gang members engaged in organized criminal activity in our region," said Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas. "This type of operation is necessary to deal with the worst of the worst gang members so our programs of prevention and intervention will have a real opportunity to be successful."

KIRO Radio Staff, Staff report
Straight from the newsdesk.
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Comments (3)


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  • dewisant wrote...
    Really
    October 24, 2012 7:22 am
    This is supposed to be a "huge' bust? Not one gun per suspect, or even one pound of drugs per suspect? What is the the cost of man-hours that went in to this to produce this result? Just saying.
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  • 333 wrote...
    Get rid of the drug dealers
    October 24, 2012 7:44 am
    make it legal.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Benda wrote...
    Guns Seized
    October 24, 2012 8:34 am
    It sounds to me like the press release was being dramatic. Guns in and of themselves are not illegal. This is like saying cars were seized or avocadoes were seized. So what? Is there something beyond that? Were these guns unlawfully possessed, such as by convicted felons? Were these stolen guns that were recovered? Or are they merely part of the inventoried property that the suspects had at time of arrest?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }