MONROE — Federal drug enforcement officials collected evidence at two Monroe homes Wednesday morning but remained tight-lipped about the operation.
The raid may be connected to a federal investigation into methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking in Snohomish, King and Pierce counties.
In all, 16 people have been indicted, and nine were in custody Wednesday.
Agents with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration along with local police had surrounded a home near the intersection of 154th Street SE and Frylands Boulevard and a mobile home nearby
The raids were part of an ongoing investigation, said Jodie Underwood, a DEA spokeswoman. She said no additional information would be immediately released.
In a grand jury indictment issued Oct. 15 and unsealed Wednesday following the initial arrests, 10 people were charged with conspiracy to distribute meth and cocaine and the other six were charged with that offense and with money-laundering conspiracy, all in Snohomish, King and Pierce counties.
Details on the case are sparse. A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office, Emily Langlie, says the investigation is continuing and neither she nor anyone in DEA would comment.
The indictment did not give any quantities of drugs, cash, weapons or other goods and property, stating only that the conspiracy charges involved more than a pound each of meth and cocaine and more than $10,000, a threshold level for certain charges and penalties.
The indictment also seeks forfeiture of a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado registered to a Sultan woman. She was not named as a defendant, nor was there any indication in court filings whether there were any family ties among her and the 16 who were indicted.
Charged with both offenses are Arturo J. Barajas Garcia, Cesar Barajas Padilla, Daniel Barajas, Gudelio J. Orozco Gomez, Demetrio Saldana Robles and Juan Carlos Saldala Robles.
Charged solely with conspiracy to distribute are Rosendo Barragan Barragan, Jorge Avila Ochoa, Benustiano Carranza Lua, Uriel Baldovinos Cruzaley, Emmanuel Valdovinos Cruzaley, Jesus Medina Contreras, Candido Hernandez, Francisco Villanueva Vega, Jesenia Vazquez and Trent T. Jesmer.
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