Seattle – Two men were arrested in Bellingham, Washington, and a third was arrested in North Carolina, in connection with distribution of more than 75,000 fentanyl pills, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Guillermo Vieyra Salas, 22, and Jaime Alonso Hernandez-Hernandez, 41, appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle yesterday. A third defendant, identified as Manuel Lugo, was arrested in Wilmington, North Carolina and will appear in U.S. District Court there on Monday October 24, 2022.
“Taking these fentanyl-laced pills off the street is a top priority for federal law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “In this case, the defendants were allegedly able to order up thousands of pills worth more than $100,000. Keeping these potentially deadly pills out of our community is a win.”
“There have been far too many deaths in Whatcom County attributable to fentanyl overdoses,” said Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo. “We were pleased to join forces with our federal partners to disrupt the criminal enterprises that are bringing this deadly menace into our community.”
According to records filed in the case, in August 2022, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) learned of a drug trafficking network that was bringing fentanyl pills to Western Washington from Mexico. In August 2022, agents, acting in an undercover capacity, purchased an initial batch of 2,000 fentanyl pills. In September, the agents put in a request for 75,000 pills for $112,000. The deal was set for September 28,2022, near the Bellingham airport. While one co-conspirator was delivering the drugs to one location, two other men met with undercover agents at a coffee shop where the undercover agents briefly showed the two men what appeared to be $112,000 in cash.
“Those who peddle fentanyl-laced pills do so with extreme indifference to the people they might kill, all in the name of profits,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “We will continue to work exhaustively with our law enforcement partners to protect the communities which we serve from the scourge of fentanyl and the devastation it causes.”
All three men were arrested this week and are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Because of the quantity of drugs involved, the men face a mandatory minimum of ten years, and up to life, in prison.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yunah Chung.