18 people arrested in undercover drug operations spanning Centralia to Marysville
Nov 20, 2025, 6:20 PM | Updated: Nov 21, 2025, 9:21 am
More than 10,000 fentanyl pills were seized, along with fentanyl powder, meth, heroin, and cocaine in two undercover drug operations. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Attorney's Office)
(Photo courtesy of the U.S. Attorney's Office)
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), along with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, announced arrests in two large undercover drug operations.
Law enforcement arrested 18 people in the long-term, multi-agency operations that stretched from Centralia to Snohomish County. Authorities said the suspects have ties to either Mexico or Ecuador.
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More than 140,000 fentanyl pills were seized, along with fentanyl powder, meth, heroin, and cocaine.
“The fentanyl alone seized in this case could have killed a staggering 3.3 million people,” DEA Special Agent in Charge David Reames said. “That’s enough fentanyl to kill everyone who lives and works in King County.”
The drug distribution organizations came to light back in December when a Tulalip Tribal Police officer pulled over what turned out to be a drug courier in Marysville. He is alleged to have had fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, and cash in his car. Over the following months, law enforcement made undercover buys from the ring and surveilled drug deliveries and money laundering activity.
“These suspects were trafficking and distributing dangerous drugs throughout Seattle,” Seattle Assistant Chief Nicole Powell said. “The city of Seattle and the region around the city are safer because of the fantastic work done by SPD and our federal partners.”
Also seized in the raids were guns, explosive devices, and $360,000 in cash.
“These guns, bombs, and fentanyl show the disregard this group displayed towards our communities,” Reames said.
Those arrested and charged include:
- Oliver Gutama Escandon, 21, Renton.
- Josselin Gutama Escandon, 23, Renton.
- Henry Gutama Escandon, 34, Renton.
- Carlos Gutama Escandon, 30, Renton.
- Jessica Gutama Escandon, 32, Renton.
- Andres Giraldo Arias, 34, Renton.
- Stalyn Quezada Gutama, 23, Renton.
- Artur Shahnazaryan, 38, Redmond.
- Luis Humberto Lamas-Guzman, 25, Lynnwood.
- Eduardo Villavicencio-Salido, 44, Marysville.
- Silvestre Ramos Martinez, 35, Everett.
- Jose Navarro Hernandez “Robert”, 46, Marysville.
- Jose Manuel Ramos Ibarra “Kora”, 28, Everett.
- Marisol Perez-Diaz, 23, of Auburn.
- Jordan Martinez Gamez, 23, Auburn.
- Jose Isabel Sandoval Zuniga, 30, Sammamish.
- Roni Licona Escoto, 56, Seattle.
- Edgar Rivas Robles, 33, Centralia.
“These successful law enforcement investigations will no doubt save lives – lives that could be lost to fentanyl overdoses or gun violence,” U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd said. “Law enforcement carefully worked its way up the drug distribution chain to find those responsible. In one case, they found multiple family members leading the distribution ring. In the other, they found drug and gun distribution intertwined with illegal cockfighting and an improvised explosive.”
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