Dozens arrested in 5-county, Seattle-area drug busts

KENT — More than 35 members of what authorities called a major drug-trafficking ring were arrested Wednesday in a series of raids in King, Pierce, Snohomish, Skagit and Thurston counties, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The ring allegedly trafficked in cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, illegal marijuana and fentanyl, according to a news release. During the Wednesday operation detectives seized 12 pounds of heroin, more than two kilos of cocaine, a pound of methamphetamine, 124 pounds of marijuana, 41 firearms and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, the news release said.

During the investigation, authorities used wiretaps and heard conspirators talk about shootings, including the Sept. 4 shooting outside a Renton hookah lounge that wounded at least two people.

It was the fourth bust in the past four months in which local and federal law enforcement targeted drug-trafficking in the Seattle area.

The suspects arrested Wednesday face drug and firearms charges.

The first bust happened in February and resulted in the arrests of five people for allegedly trafficking crack cocaine in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood.

The second bust was in March and resulted in 20 arrests of heroin and meth traffickers operating primarily in South King County and the Tacoma area, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Last month, a dozen people were arrested for allegedly trafficking in methamphetamine in South King County.

“Over the last four months, more than 80 drug-dealing conspirators moving meth, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl have been taken off our streets where they preyed on destructive addictions and used gun crime to further their trade,” U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes said.