King County Sheriff's Office drug bust nets $2M in narcotics
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office rush filed felony charges against three individuals following a lengthy investigation into drug dealing activities by the King County Sheriff’s Office.
The defendants, identified as Valentin Garcia Lazcanogarcia, Miguel A. Hernandez Domingo and Jose Ignacio Pelaez, had been under surveillance since the summer of 2023, with multiple apartment units, vehicles and a storage unit linked to narcotics trafficking in South King County.
On May 2, law enforcement identified a storage unit believed to be a stash location for the trafficking operation. According to charging docs, surveillance teams observed Pelaez leaving a storage unit carrying a black trash bag which contained approximately 13,000 fentanyl pills and cash.
Further search warrants executed for the apartments and vehicles associated with the defendants uncovered even more narcotics, including 95,000 fentanyl pills and two bricks of fentanyl powder. Deputies also found more than 125,000 grams of fentanyl, 286 grams of heroin, 1121 grams of meth, false identification documents and approximately $32,000 in cash.
Deputies estimate the total street value of the narcotics seized in the operation to be worth over $2 million, marking a significant blow to the illicit drug trade in the region.
In response to the charges filed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, prosecutors have argued for high bail amounts for all three defendants.
Currently, two of the defendants are being held on $250,000 bail each, while the third is held on $100,000 bail. The arraignments for all three defendants, where initial pleas will be entered, are scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 20 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) in Kent.
The charges filed against the defendants include multiple counts of Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, ranging from possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
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