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Police seize 500-plus stolen catalytic converters from 2 Tri-Cities businesses

By Cory McCoy, Tri-City Herald
Published: March 16, 2023, 7:05pm

KENNEWICK — Hundreds of stolen catalytic converters were seized from two Tri-Cities businesses this week.

An investigation by the Interagency Narcotics Investigation Team that began in Grant County led to the recovery of more than 500 catalytic converters in Kennewick, according to a social media post from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

The INET investigation involved trafficking of stolen property and money laundering.

Warrants had been served at a Moses Lake home and the Dos Tesoros Smoke Shop on Stratford Road in Moses Lake, which then led investigators to look into the Kennewick businesses on Wednesday — PDX Scrap Metal and C.E.M. Catalytic Converter.

They were able to recover 533 catalytic converters, raw materials from the cores of the catalytic converters and equipment used to extract the precious materials from inside catalytic converters.

The Grant County Sheriff’s Office, along with members of the Tri-Cities Metro Drug Task Force, Benton County, WA Sheriff’s Office, Kennewick Police Department, Washington State Patrol and Pasco Police served a search warrant at PDX Scrap Metal at 213507 Highway 397 in Kennewick, according to the post.

They also interviewed 51-year-old Eleuterio Domingo Sanchez Vazquez, the owner of C.E.M. Catalytic Converter, and his daughter, 23-year-old Carolina Sanchez Villanueva, the owner of PDX Scrap Metal.

Sanchez Vazquez and Sanchez Villanueva are the primary suspects in the investigation, but they were not arrested.

Once the investigation is concluded, the reports will be forwarded to the Benton County Prosecutor’s Office for possible charges.

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