TRI-CITIES, Wash. – Two drug traffickers based in the Tri-Cities were sentenced to a combined 17 years in federal prison for trafficking large amounts of drugs in Eastern Washington, per to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.
Angel Ramon Barajas-Zarate, 26, of Colima, Mexico and Hector Sanchez-Mendez, 42, of Oaxaca, Mexico were sentenced to 11 and six years in prison respectively. Both face five years of supervised release following their sentences.
According to court documents presented at the sentencing, in February 2022, investigators found that Barajas-Zarate had been using the USPS to ship large amounts of controlled substances including fentanyl-laced pills and methamphetamine.
Sanchez-Mendez was found to be operating a drug stash house for Barajas-Zarate.
On Dec. 14, 2022, investigators executed multiple search warrants in Richland at three homes and several vehicles.
In total, investigators seized over 100,000 fentanyl-laced pills, 45 pounds of methamphetamine, one kilogram of cocaine, about $15,000 in U.S. currency, several money counters and over 20 firearms.
The case was taken on by the FBI Southeast Washington Safe Streets Task Force and multiple law enforcement agencies.
