EVERETT — A 45-year-old Everett man is facing federal charges after authorities reportedly recovered more than 20 pounds of fentanyl — enough to kill the population of Seattle — during a drug bust earlier this year.
Kevin Torres Velasquez was originally arrested Jan. 24 and booked into Snohomish County Jail on suspicion of drug trafficking, according to court documents. He posted $250,000 bond and was released Jan. 30. On Thursday, he was arrested again, this time on federal charges.
Torres Velasquez made his first appearance Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. He remained seated during the hearing, wearing a gray sweatshirt and headphones as a translator spoke into a microphone connected to his headset. His attorney briefly patted him on the back before the hearing began.
Magistrate Judge Paula L. McCandlis read him the charge: one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. The minimum sentence for a conviction is 10 years in prison and up to a $10 million fine. In response, Torres Velasquez said, “Sí, entiendo,” indicating he understood the charge. His attorney did not contest detention.
Torres Velasquez and another suspect, Santana Sandoval, 21, were both arrested Jan. 24 after Seattle police, Homeland Security, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents used a confidential informant to make multiple controlled buys of fentanyl from Sandoval, according to police reports.
As of Friday, Sandoval has not been federally charged and remains released from custody on bond.
Police served a search warrant at the apartment with help from a SWAT team after the occupants refused to open the door, documents said. Torres Velasquez was arrested inside. Sandoval allegedly tried to flee out the back but was ordered back in and arrested.
Inside, investigators reported seizing more than 9,188 grams of fentanyl powder, 282 grams of fentanyl pills (about 2,800 doses), 216 grams of cocaine, 21 grams of crack cocaine, 8 grams of methamphetamine and over $40,000 in cash, police said.
The DEA estimates just 1 kilogram of fentanyl can cause up to 500,000 fatal overdoses, the probable cause statement said. The amount seized in this case — about 20.5 pounds — could kill roughly 4.5 million people.
Police also discovered packaging materials, digital scales with drug residue, and tools allegedly used to break down bulk fentanyl, according to the police report. Torres Velasquez reportedly identified one of the bedrooms, where most of the fentanyl was found, as his.
In Sandoval’s bathroom, police found a stolen Glock 43 in the toilet with its magazine in the bowl, suggesting he handled it as officers entered. Sandoval, who has a 2023 drug arrest and is not a U.S. citizen, is barred from possessing firearms, the report said.
Investigators believe both men used the apartment to prepare narcotics for distribution, said the probable cause affidavit. They noted the home is near Silver Lake Elementary.
It was also noted both suspects have no known employment, ties to the community or a legal income source, the document said.
The case comes just over a week after another Everett man, Percy Levy, was indicted in federal court. Investigators reportedly found over 2,800 grams of cocaine and more than 500 grams of fentanyl in Levy’s bedroom. The Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that amount could kill approximately 278,000 people — more than the populations of Everett, Bellingham and Lynnwood combined. They also found a loaded handgun hidden under a pillow.
The fentanyl recovered in the Torres Velasquez case amounted to more than 15 times that quantity and could kill the entire population of Seattle.
A preliminary hearing is set for April 25 at 1 p.m.
Aspen Anderson: 425-339-3192; aspen.anderson@heraldnet.com; X: @aspenwanderson.
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