SEATTLE – Law enforcement arrested 18 people and searched more than a dozen locations for members of a violent drug trafficking organization, according to a federal prosecutor.
The organization distributed cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine across a wide swath of the greater Seattle metro area.
“These defendants preyed on our community by supplying drugs in neighborhoods across Seattle, and demonstrated a willingness to use violence where it served their purposes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes. “Their criminal activities included hiding weapons and using violence in homeless encampments located along Interstate-5.”
According to the indictment, these are the allegations:
- Beginning in February 2013 law enforcement used a variety of tools including telephone wire taps and confidential sources to infiltrate and interdict this drug organization.
- The investigation determined that the organization was drug dealing about 30 to 40 pounds of cocaine, 22 to 33 pounds of heroin and 11 pounds of methamphetamine per month.
- On multiple times, the defendants were arrested with firearms.
- In one instance a conspirator was arrested with a stolen firearm as he was leaving the ‘Jungle’ homeless encampment.
- During the investigation law enforcement seized drugs and cash including a September 2014 seizure of more than four pounds of cocaine, one pound of methamphetamine and $14,000 cash from a rental car.
- In March 2015, investigators seized more than $32,000 from a hidden compartment in another vehicle.
- Drug activity associated with the organization occurred over a wide geographic area with drug sales occurring at homes and near businesses in Seattle, Renton, Shoreline and Kent.
- The drug transactions occurred in areas ranging from the parking lot of Viet Wah supermarket and the parking lot of Dick’s Drive-In, the parking lot of a gas station on Beacon Hill, and at a motel in Tukwila.
“Law enforcement partnerships made today’s operation a success,” said Special Agent in Charge Frank Montoya, Jr., of the FBI’s Seattle division. “Working together in task forces, we tracked these defendants on both sides of Lake Washington, up and down Interstate 5, and even to other states. Our joint resources enabled us to identify key elements of the organization and effectively shut it down.”
Those arrested on the indictment today include:
- Son V. Tran, 28, of Seattle, Washington
- Cuong T. Le, 57, of Federal Way, Washington
- Niem H. Doan, aka “Linh,” 36, of Everett, Washington
- Huy V. Tran, 39, of Seattle, Washington
- Patrick Wong, aka “Minh” 48, of Seattle, Washington
- Son T. Nguyen, aka “Nine Fingers” aka “Kim,” 42, of Seattle, Washington
- Tam C. Nguyen, aka “Andy,” 39, of Tukwila, Washington
- Brieanna K. Carlson, 27, of Seattle, Washington
- Yen T. Vu, 54, of Seattle, Washington
- Phuong A. Nguyen, aka “P,” 42, of Kent, Washington
- Vinh Q. Nguyen, 29, of Seattle, Washington
- Giang T. Ngo, aka “Uncle Jack,” 51, of Burien, Washington
- Phuong H. Nguyen, aka “LJ,” 30, of Kent, Washington
- Kenneth W. Thomas, 55, of SeaTac, Washington
- Donald K. Jordan, aka “Looney,” 34, of Seattle, Washington
- Donald C. Scholoff, 47, of Edmonds, Washington
- Steven J. Connell, 47, of Seattle, Washington
- Kimberle S. Alojasin, aka “Nguyen,” 56, of South King County, Washington