MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Local, federal agents arrest 11 drug traffickers connected to massive cartel operation

Oct 26, 2022, 5:30 PM | Updated: 5:56 pm

U.S. Attorney Nick Brown...

Nick Brown, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington. (Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Federal agents revealed an operation targeting drug cartels has led to more than a dozen arrests and large amounts of drugs seized during a press conference Wednesday.

Nick Brown, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, said investigators stopped a group of traffickers moving drugs up I-5 from Mexico to Washington state.

“We now have 19 people charged related to these three different drug trafficking groups,” Brown said at a press conference.

More from Darren Dedo: 5,000 fentanyl pills discovered, suspect arrested in Auburn

The FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and Seattle Police worked in tandem during the sting, seizing vast amounts of narcotics in the process.

“These defendants were using firearms to protect massive amounts of drugs being brought into this district, Western Washington,” Brown said. “Fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and others.”

Brown also said the majority of the guns were stolen.

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Local, federal agents arrest 11 drug traffickers connected to massive cartel operation