WOODINVILLE — A Woodinville drug ring leader was sentenced to nine years in federal prison following a three-year long investigation into his West Coast trafficking group, which was largely based in Snohomish County.
Jose Luis Ibarra-Valle, 39, has been in custody since late 2020. An investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Agency began in March 2020, sending a confidential source to arrange a drug deal with Ibarra-Valle, court documents say.
A wiretap investigation found the Woodinville man, a Mexican citizen, had reportedly been moving large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin from California into Oregon and Washington. The investigation also found the trafficker was looking to buy a firearm to kill one of his co-conspirators for taking drugs and not paying, court documents say.
In October 2020, was stopped by authorities while exiting I-5 in Seattle. Law enforcement seized 16,000 fentanyl pills, 30 pounds of meth and six pounds of heroin, according to court documents.
In November 2020, he was indicted in Seattle’s U.S. District Court along with eight other co-conspirators in the Pacific Northwest. In August 2022, Ibarra-Valle pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Five members of the drug trafficking ring have been convicted and sentenced. They are:
• Jesus Gutierrez-Garcia, 33, of Everett was sentenced to 6½ years in prison;
• Jesus Garnica-Melgoza, 41, of Seattle was sentenced to 3½ years in prison;
• Santos Caro, 37, of Portland, Oregon was sentenced to five years in prison;
• Lee Wallette, 39, of Mountlake Terrace was sentenced to six in prison;
• Tisha Girtz, 40, of Lake Stevens was sentencing to 4½ years in prison.
Ibarra-Valle received the longest sentence so far of nine years for his leadership role.
Prosecutors recommended a 10-year sentence for Ibarra-Valle, “to account for the seriousness of the offense, the defendant’s history and characteristics,” court documents say.
“I ask you, I beg you to please not keep him there and away from us for too long. Please, forgive him,” his wife wrote in a letter to the court.
At his sentencing hearing Friday, U.S. District Judge Richard Jones noted the dangers of the narcotics he was distributing.
“You introduced large quantities of heroin and fentanyl into this community,” Jones said. “Drugs that are highly addictive and dangerous.”
Maya Tizon; 425-339-3434; maya.tizon@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @mayatizon
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