17 Arrested in Fentanyl Trafficking Operation Spanning Washington to Georgia

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced the arrests of 17 individuals, including Edgar Valdez, 26, of Phoenix, Arizona, as part of a sweeping fentanyl trafficking operation.

These arrests follow a two-year investigation into a drug ring linked to a fatal fentanyl overdose on the Lummi Nation reservation in Whatcom County, Washington.

Authorities executed search warrants and made arrests in several states, including Georgia, Missouri, Texas, Arizona, and Washington.

Valdez, along with other members of the network, faces charges for distributing over 800,000 fentanyl pills across the U.S., according to the DEA.

The drug operation, led by Marquis Jackson, 31, of Atlanta and Renton, Washington, expanded its reach beyond Washington state into Arizona, Texas, Missouri, and Georgia.

Throughout the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine, 29 firearms, and over $116,000 in cash.

“This operation revealed that the organization supplied a community devastated by four fentanyl overdose deaths in just four days,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. She emphasized the ongoing impact of fentanyl, especially on tribal populations.

The case falls under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces initiative, which targets major drug traffickers, the DEA noted.

Authorities are continuing their efforts to dismantle the network and stop fentanyl distribution nationwide, according to the FBI.

“This case is significant because it involved a family drug trafficking organization that expanded from Seattle to states across the country,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle office.

The group distributed more than 800,000 fentanyl pills in states like Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Montana, and Georgia, Collodi added.

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